Among the Shadows
by Cold Recluse
Summary: Zeleve is discovered while wandering throughout the icy regions of Arctika. She is offered refuge within the Lin Kuei palace, much to Sub-Zero's chagrin. However, it is not long before Zeleve discovers that she and Smoke share a common past and serious trouble arises. No pairings (yet). Plot change also underway. R&R welcome!
1. The Beginning

******A/N:** This is my attempt at darker fan-fiction, so please don't post reviews bashing my OC. I know that not many people here like OCs, and while I do agree that not every OC is well-developed, I can only hope that this story gets a chance.

As a head's up, some of the characters might seem a bit OOC, but I'm trying my best to keep the canon characters as canon as possible. Sub-Zero and Smoke may not be as emotionally stoic like they are in the actual games, but they are both important to the plot, so please don't be upset with me if the story seems like it isn't focusing on Zeleve. I'm trying to maintain equal balance between Smoke, Sub-Zero, and my OC, and believe me... It isn't easy.

The only cyborgs in this fic are Sektor and Cyrax. Sektor won't be featured, but references to him and other characters will be made. Noob Saibot will appear in random cameos from this point forward. ******I REFUSE TO AUTOMATE SUB-ZERO AND SMOKE.**

* * *

___"Many innocent lives had been taken that fateful day, so very long ago..."_

* * *

A raven-haired woman sat on the cold, hard ground, quietly pondering her next move. She had taken temporary refuge inside a damp, musty cave, having been there for only a few hours. Her silver eyes focused on the white, icy vicinity visible from the rocky dwelling's wide opening.

The seemingly young woman was exhausted, albeit unfazed. Not many knew of her true personality, and because of that, many would say that she was cold, heartless, among many other things.

Although Zeleve was an enigmatic female, she had a heart of gold. She normally did not side with anyone, for any cause. The woman was not evil, nor entirely good, either... She was neutral.

But like any lone warrior, she had her doubts.

Zeleve had little to no memories of her past, and she always had a difficult time with getting close to anyone. What always concerned her was her ability to wield and manipulate smoke. She did not know of any other human being with that special power.

And she definitely had her insecurities; her sharp, vampire-like fangs being the most prominent one. Because of this unique physical characteristic, Zeleve was often thought to have been Nitara's ally or of her kind.

But unknown to Zeleve herself, she was an Enenra. She was fully aware of her powers, yes, but when she was around other mortals, she would force herself to completely deactivate the black fog that usually emitted from her body. And she had no idea how she'd even acquired the ability to do such, _supernatural _things. It made her feel... like an _abomination._

She only wanted to blend in, and not draw any unwanted attention to herself. However, it wasn't always easy.

The other strange, inhuman trait the female Enenra possessed were her odd-shaped pupils. Her eyes were as silver as the glimmer emanating from the frozen spikes surrounding the cave's exterior, yet deadly like the shine of a warrior's sword.

But despite her insecurities, Zeleve was still beautiful in her human form. Not looking a day over twenty-five, Zeleve had been brainwashed by Quan Chi himself to believe that she was about three hundred years old.

However, that story was one that the Enenra was desperate to forget. She knew that the necromancer was after her, but she did not know why. All she knew, according to myths she'd heard about the pale-skinned sorcerer, was that he was nothing but trouble.

Not to mention a two-timing, selfish bastard only looking out for himself.

Before ending up in her current location, Zeleve had endlessly wandered throughout the tundras of southeastern Greenland, and was already too tired to keep going. She had already traveled on foot nonstop for over three months, but although Zeleve wanted to continue her trek, she took it upon herself to take refuge in this frozen shelter.

___It's too cold here__, _she thought to herself. ___But I can make it if I try. I _have ___to survive for as long as I can._

The woman had lived a nomadic life for nearly a year by this point. When Zeleve had been near the coastal regions of southern Greenland not even two weeks prior, she did not have much to choose from when searching for food. It was merely a fluke for the female Enenra to have had a rifle on her person, because she definitely had succeeded in shooting a harp seal pup while hunting. She had found the weapon lying around near the outskirts of Nuuk, the capital city of Greenland that same day.

Now? Two weeks had passed, and the woman was hungry. Though she was ignorant to the fact that her physiology was much different than the average Earthrealm human, Zeleve thought that it would only be a matter of time before her energy started waning. Too bad she had disposed of the firearm.

___So tired... _she thought with a yawn. She figured she could rest in the cave for now, despite not really having a destination in mind.

After all, granted the Enenra's geographical location in the Arctic circle, it was evident that Quan Chi would never be able to find her.

Not here.

Zeleve's exhaustion caught up with her after several minutes of silent thinking, and she unknowingly drifted off to sleep...

* * *

Ice blue eyes glared at the conniving woman before them; even white teeth gritting in annoyance beneath a protective face mask. Frost had once again returned to the Lin Kuei temple in attempts to claim the reformed clan as her own.

But Kuai Liang was not having it. He had suffered enough because of this disgraceful woman he'd once had high hopes for.

If only he had known his former apprentice's true intentions from the beginning...

Frost was an interesting woman, and not in the most positive way. She was extremely arrogant, and whenever her voice was heard, it was almost always masked by false bravado. That was one of the multiple reasons why many of her former Lin Kuei brethren did not like her. Many had also tried to kill her despite Sub-Zero's orders.

Even the Grandmaster's long-time best friend and most loyal ally, Smoke, could not understand why he had even _allowed_ this insolent, dispassionate waste of life into their stronghold.

"I know you don't want to hear it, Sub-Zero, but I think you're putting the Lin Kuei at risk by bringing her in," Tomas had told him on Frost's first day as a Lin Kuei. Sub-Zero, however, was too entranced by the young woman's ice-wielding powers at the time. That - according to their allies - was the only reason Kuai Liang had chosen Frost as his apprentice.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out as Sub-Zero hoped. Frost had tried killing her superior once after stealing the Dragon Medallion. When that incident occurred, the Grandmaster feared for his underling's life. But the mystical powers within the Medallion searched Frost's soul, and realized that she was corrupted by evil. Due to having a monstrously villainous taint, the Medallion caused the stunned female Cryomancer to freeze herself with her own powers.

Now, a year later, Frost was standing before her former Sifu. Her eyes gleamed with malice as Sub-Zero backed into a defensive stance. He had laid her frozen body to rest back in Outworld, but to see the pathetic disgrace in person once again was more of a shock to him than an annoyance.

He would kill her this time - even if it meant the safety of himself and his clan; Sub-Zero would die in honor.

For the Lin Kuei, and for the forces of good.

He now glared at the woman with hard cerulean eyes. "Why are you here, Frost? You tried killing me once and failed," Kuai Liang started. As his code-name suggested, Sub-Zero was stern, distant, and very reserved about his innermost emotions. Not even those closest to him knew everything about him. As it was, very few knew of his true identity.

Frost held her hands behind her back as she smirked, rolling her eyes. "That's a good question, _Sifu. _I figured you'd enjoy knowing that I nearly killed some disgusting female Enenra I encountered a few days ago while making my way back home."

"A female Enenra?" Sub-Zero calmly asked, now slowly circling his former student. "If you couldn't defeat Smoke in combat, there is no way that you could possibly defeat and slay a female of his kind."

About two years prior, Frost had challenged Smoke to a fight after he'd called her out on being a disgrace to their clan during a heated argument.

If there was _anything _the female Cryomancer hated the most, it was being degraded by her peers. Because of the insult Tomas hurled at her that evening, Frost lunged at the Enenra with a crazed yell, blindly kicking and punching at him.

But Smoke was too fast for the psychotic female, and phased away in a grey haze, before reappearing behind her and punching the woman very hard in the back. Frost yelped, but the Enenra was not done with her yet. Tomas quickly ran behind her before delivering a nearly fatal German-suplex which knocked her out on the spot.

Now, all this time having passed, Frost merely laughed when Sub-Zero rehashed the fight he witnessed between her and his best friend. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Enough about the abomination I challenged. Now, on to the _real _reason why I'm here!" she yelled.

Suddenly, the power-hungry woman charged at her former Grandmaster, throwing and blocking several punches and kicks, most of which only connected with air. Sub-Zero rolled his eyes as he effectively blocked her attacks with his kori blade.

The fight continued with both Cryomancers evenly matched, but after several parries, punches, kicks, ice attacks, and slashes from both parties, Kuai Liang finally got his opening.

He beheaded the wench with his icy blade just as she readied her hands to project ice right in front of his feet. Frost didn't even have enough time to scream since it happened so quickly. Kuai Liang was equally as bewildered, watching the blood violently drip from Frost's severed neck.

Not surprisingly, the dead female ice-wielder maintained her smug expression, even after having been decapitated.

Unbeknownst to Sub-Zero, however, Smoke had been observing the fight from his spot behind one of the many pillars inside the large throne room.

"A female Enenra?" Tomas whispered in disbelief. All this time, he'd thought that he was the only Enenra in existence, but to know that a female existed was something he'd never imagined possible.

He silently watched on as his best friend cleaned up the bloody mess himself. Smoke did not know exactly how he felt about this sudden news, but he found himself getting curious the more he thought of it.

Although Frost was now dead, the location of the unknown female now piquing Tomas' interest would soon be revealed. Smoke was more than certain that information on this mysterious female would eventually be leaked.

Smoke hoped that she would still be alive by the time he found her, providing that Sub-Zero did not prohibit him from retrieving the woman. The apprehensive Enenra knew that by bringing his female counterpart into the Lin Kuei, she would be safe...

Now, Tomas just needed to win his inner battle and request Sub-Zero's permission to find her.


	2. Discovered

_"We were once innocent humans.  
Desperately seeking shelter during those difficult times..."_

* * *

After Sub-Zero defeated and killed Frost, he'd been relatively quiet. He had grown tired of repeatedly freezing his former apprentice, only for her to thaw out and return. Due to fear of the wrong hands acquiring Frost's mutilated body, Kuai Liang asked Smoke to use his vapor powers and turn her into dust.

Initially, Smoke was hesitant to take on the role of cremator, but he obliged upon noting the grief-stricken expression in his Grandmaster's sapphire eyes. The Enenra knew that Frost betraying the Lin Kuei had given Sub-Zero more reasons to feel weary of allowing any new recruits.

Smoke wondered about that female of his own species the entire time after Frost's cremation. Would Sub-Zero approve of having another woman in the palace? Smoke did not know, but he knew that he would end up asking his friend to grant him permission for the woman's retrieval.

It'd only be a matter of time before Tomas gave in to his impulses, but thankfully, Smoke did not have to worry about being slain in front of his brethren anymore just for making a "pointless request." His and Sub-Zero's days as subordinates under Sektor's father's command were long over. They had their free will back, and would fight honorably just to ensure that they never have that human right taken from them.

Tomas had been mind-rambling about his female counterpart for so long that he eventually started reminiscing. His thoughts drifted off to how different his life as a Lin Kuei had been back then.

Smoke and Sub-Zero (then known as Tundra) grew up together under the leadership of Sektor's father, who at the time was the Grandmaster. During the former clan leader's rule, things had been _very _different compared to how Sub-Zero currently ran the Lin Kuei. Women were traditionally frowned upon, only serving as slaves. The old Lin Kuei had no real use for women. They were not considered formidable enough to be trained as assassins, so for thousands of years, the Lin Kuei was mostly comprised of men. The only women in existence were maids, healers, and the cooks that worked the kitchens down in the mess hall.

However, all of that changed when Kuai Liang had defeated Sektor and claimed the Dragon Medallion as his own. That mystical token of authority searched his soul, seeing the pureness and redemption within. It knew Sub-Zero's past, future, and every other personal detail about him.

Determining that Kuai Liang was the perfect fit for the role of Lin Kuei Grandmaster, the Medallion had sealed itself to his chest. The day the newly-empowered Cryomancer had taken over the once-corrupt clan was the day they would meet a bright future.

By helping to protect Earthrealm, rather than participating in its destruction.

Although Sub-Zero now had an _easier _lifestyle compared to the one before, he still felt discontent. The man had lost so much in his thirty-two years of existence, more so than the average mortal his same age. He had lost his older brother, Bi-Han, during the first Mortal Kombat, at the ever-mysterious Scorpion's hand. Kuai Liang had taken his elder's code-name as a means to honor him upon learning that Bi-Han had been slain in the Netherrealm.

During their childhood, Kuai Liang loved his older brother and always looked up to him. While Sub-Zero was more in control with his emotions, Tundra struggled immensely in repressing them. But during those early years, the two brothers did not know that they'd been kidnapped from their family as children. They thought they'd been Lin Kuei from the beginning, due to the Grandmaster's brainwashing them. Because of that, neither Kuai Liang nor Bi-Han had any concept of what a normal life was; that opportunity had been taken from them.

No... More like **stolen**.

But as the years passed; both Bi-Han and his younger sibling eventually earned powerful positions as Lin Kuei Elites. That rank was _very_ difficult to achieve, but Bi-Han was proud of his younger brother when he succeeded.

Of course, things were now different between the once close brothers. Bi-Han was now a wraith, with his soul divided in two. The dominant part of him was Noob, with his tar-like replica being Saibot - Bi-Han's darker, gruesome half.

Both he and Scorpion hunted him down. The ninja spectre was completely oblivious to the truth behind his family's death. And evidently, Noob Saibot and the hellspawn did not seem to have any problems with one another. That was simply because Quan Chi had brainwashed them both to remove the memories both undead beings once had of each other. Scorpion did not yet know that Quan Chi was the one behind the eradication of the Shirai Ryu; he thought it was Kuai Liang.

The last Cryomancer suffered in silence ever since Bi-Han's murder, but nothing stopped him from wanting to avenge his brother. Kuai Liang wanted to _help_ his older brother regain his humanity. Assisting Bi-Han with redeeming his soul was Sub-Zero's primary goal now, and he would be highly disappointed with himself if he did not accomplish that task.

Smoke had always been there for the grieving ice-wielder, since before Bi-Han's death. He had basically taken Bi-Han's place as the older brother, always willing to assist and help Kuai Liang in any way possible. Every time something went wrong, Smoke would be there to encourage the Cryomancer.

As it was, Sub-Zero had a tendency to condescend himself for failure, and Smoke already knew that he had been feeling miserable after killing Frost with his own weapon.

Both men had been slightly anxious since they'd heard Frost mention the female Enenra; especially Tomas.

Smoke wanted to find her, and although he was the second-in-command, he was going to ask Sub-Zero for permission anyway.

_After_ dinner, of course.

* * *

After dinner that evening, Smoke approached the Grandmaster's chamber. The large, intricately carved wooden doors were wide open; a tell-tale sign that Sub-Zero was not busy.

Smoke silently slipped in, immediately acknowledging Sub-Zero. The Grandmaster had been sitting at his desk, and it appeared to the vapor demon that his leader had been writing in a personal journal of some sort.

"Excuse me," Smoke said, bowing in the customary Lin Kuei fashion. The Cryomancer looked up from his journal, his azure orbs piercing into the vapor-wielder's grey ones. He nodded his head, signaling for Smoke to rise.

"You know you don't have to bow to me, Tomas."

"Whatever, Kuai Liang," Smoke chided. Friend or not, Sub-Zero was the Grandmaster, and as such he deserved that respect.

Sub-Zero got up from his seat, feigning aggression as he made his way over to where Smoke stood. "Shut it, Tomas. I'm not exactly in a good mood right now."

The Enenra grimaced. Sub-Zero normally did not treat him that way; he hoped that he was joking. When Smoke realized that Sub-Zero now glared ice daggers at him, he turned to leave.

"Wait," Sub-Zero said with a slight laugh. "You should know that you're the only one I can kid around with, Smoke. Have you forgotten?"

Smoke's head whipped back around to look at the Grandmaster. _Mood swings... Always evident with this man, _he thought, smiling.

"For a moment I thought your manly period came down," said the Enenra, now sitting down on one of the dark leather armchairs.

The Grandmaster smirked at his best friend's quip. "Oh, shut up. You're the one with the androgynous looks. Anyway, what is it?"

Tomas laughed at Sub-Zero's funny before his tone became serious again. "Well, for one... I saw your dispute with Frost..."

Sub-Zero's face darkened in annoyance. He didn't want to talk about Frost. He already felt like a failure for not having been able to teach the vile woman humility.

Not only that, but Kuai Liang knew that Smoke had a tendency to sneak around the temple while invisible.

_Damn you Enenras and your invisibilty... _Sub-Zero thought. It should have come as no surprise to the Cryomancer that his second-in-command had seen him decapitate Frost. But then he remembered Smoke using his scorching powers to incinerate the female Cryomancer's corpse, which meant that Smoke _did _in fact see the incident unfold.

Regardless, Sub-Zero was already too bothered to remember anything clearly.

"I know you don't want to discuss that wretch, so I'm not going to say any more on the matter," Smoke continued. "But I _am_ curious about the female Enenra your former apprentice mentioned before her death."

The Cryomancer's right eyebrow rose pointedly. "Tomas, _please_ don't tell me that you want my permission to search for her."

Smoke nodded. "Indeed I do. I wager she is alone, and probably not nearly as strong with her powers. She won't last long in that freezing weather, and I think it would be best if we gave her shelter."

"Providing that she isn't dangerous," Sub-Zero interjected. "I don't need to deal with another incident like the one involving Frost. Besides, I'm not even ready for another recruit just yet."

Smoke frowned in disappointment, but nonetheless understood Sub-Zero's neurosis. He had nearly lost his clan _and_ his own life after allowing Frost to join them. It did not need to reoccur.

"I am certain that I can tame her, Kuai Liang. I've heard myths that female Enenras are naturally aggressive, but easily subdued by a male."

The Cryomancer stiffened. "Be that as it may, Smoke. You never know what might happen with this female of your kind. She might prove to be more dangerous than Frost. I don't need that problem in the Lin Kuei anymore."

"My Gods, Sub-Zero..." Smoke sighed. He stood from the chair before continuing. "I'm also an Enenra, except I'm a male. Think about it. If the female tries something slick, I can easily control her. I'm sure I am much stronger than her."

Sub-Zero was definitely weary of letting his best friend bring another outsider inside their base, especially after the incident that had transpired with Frost. He was going to reject his friend's request due to concern for his clan, but the glint of hope in Tomas' eyes made him change his mind.

The Cryomancer sighed. After a few moments, he reluctantly agreed. "Fine, Tomas. Since you're so optimistic about the female... Have Cyrax accompany you, in case the woman gets overly aggressive. His high-technology heat sensors will surely assist you in seeking her out if she's invisible."

Immediately bowing in gratitude, the Enenra thanked his best friend and leader. "Thank you, Sub-Zero. I promise to bring her back safely and not get myself killed in the interim."

"Don't even start, Tomas," Kuai Liang said. "I'm only letting you bring her here because I know you know more about your kind than I would, especially since you've been researching information about your species, no thanks to Raiden. As such, _you're_ going to be the one in charge of her. I want absolutely _no_ part in this."

Smoke rolled his eyes and stood to his full height. "Sounds fair to me. You need a break from training new recruits anyway. I'll inform Cyrax of this mission and we will leave immediately."

Sub-Zero waved a dismissive hand, to which the Enenra hastily left the chamber.

After Smoke left his room, Kuai Liang went back to his desk to finish his journal entry, but instead found himself brooding on the matter of the female vapor demon being a possible danger.

_I hope this doesn't turn out to be another disaster..._ he thought as he buried his face in his open hands. He understood that Smoke worried for the mysterious woman, but he did not know why.

_Oh well. I'm sure Tomas knows what he's doing. He never jumps into things without thinking it through._

* * *

Zeleve had been awake for the past five or six hours, silently lying on the cave floor, before being startled by the sound of nearby footsteps crunching on hard snow.

_He found me__, _she thought as she swiftly jumped to her feet. She inwardly panicked because she did not want Quan Chi to find her, even if she didn't have any idea why he desperately wanted her in the first place.

The sorcerer had been after the female for quite a while, but his intentions for capturing her were unclear to even his minions. They just wanted to serve their superiors, so when the sorcerer had hired Mileena several months prior to capture Zeleve, the Tarkatan woman was quick to leave Outworld and track her down.

But the fight that day did not end well.

Mileena was unaware of the fact that female Enenras could smell danger from a distance. An Enenra's sense of smell was _much_ keener than a Tarkatan's, so naturally Zeleve was able to know firsthand that Mileena was definitely looking to harm her.

Mileena fought viciously with two sai blades, while Zeleve fought extremely well without any weapons. Both women exchanged powerful attacks and seemed to be equally matched in skill, but the female Enenra had an advantage over the hybrid.

Her defense mechanisms.

Before Mileena was able to succeed in driving her sai blade into Zeleve's shoulder, Zeleve used that opportunity to disappear into thin air. Mileena looked around in surprise, growling in annoyance because Zeleve had caught her off-guard.

While Mileena continued to look around, Zeleve remained invisible from behind a wall. It wasn't until her frustration got the best of her that Mileena left. Besides, Tarkatans were widely known for being extremely impatient during missions.

The female Enenra's ability to evade capture was what had extended her survival. Even if she did not have the slightest idea as to how she ended up with such powers, she knew that they would be helpful in the future.

And when Frost was making her way back to the Lin Kuei temple several days before today, it had been the same as it had been with Mileena. Frost was looking for a challenge and ended up looking like a fool in the end.

A disgrace to the Lin Kuei indeed. The Lin Kuei did not go out asking for trouble; they let it come to them, only attacking if need be.

But Frost was the opposite. Everywhere she went, havoc was wreaked. Zeleve was only minding her business that day, nonchalantly wandering through southern Greenland, when Frost noticed her and decided to taunt her.

Big mistake.

That fight that resulted from Frost's trash-talk had been intense, hard punches and powerful kicks received from Zeleve. Had there been spectators, anyone observing the two women would be able to tell that there were major personality differences between them.

Frost was a formidable warrior, a master over the element of ice. However, her tendency to become overly arrogant would always result in her defeat. Zeleve, on the other hand, was more calm and collected during battle. Her true emotions were never on the surface. And her face was completely emotionless, compared to Frost's. The female Cryomancer always had a sneer plastered onto her pale, gaunt face – but that didn't stop Zeleve from noticing the insecurity within those crazed blue orbs.

The ice-wielder was all talk, and Zeleve was able to pick up on that. Frost wouldn't be difficult to defeat at all.

Without a word, the vapor demoness quickly charged at Frost. Once at a close enough distance, Zeleve raised her left leg to execute a graceful roundhouse kick to her opponent's face. Frost did not see Zeleve coming; she was too fast, almost like a blur of grey. As a result of the sudden impact, the Lin Kuei traitor fell to her knees with a yelp, clutching her jaw in stunned silence. When she saw Zeleve take a few steps away from her, Frost presumed that she was scared. This motivated Frost to keep fighting, and she jumped back onto her feet with a determined sneer.

Zeleve anticipated Frost's next move – an attempted punch to the face – and stopped the tiny fist by grabbing it with her free hand. She was undoubtedly strong, and this caught Frost by surprise. It was then when she noticed the fangs protruding from the other woman's upper lip.

"You are not human?" Frost asked, though it sounded more like a statement than an inquiry.

Zeleve did not reply. She rolled her slitted silver eyes before closing her other fist, drawing it back, and slamming it into Frost's already bruised jaw. A loud crack was heard in the open air immediately.

And that was the moment Frost saw that her opponent was not afraid, and she did not like that. She _wanted _to be feared, and she would enforce the other woman's submittal.

The female Cryomancer jumped to her feet again, unfazed by her throbbing jaw pain. "You don't even need to answer my question. I already know what you are... A _freak _of nature."

Still, Zeleve did not say anything. Whether or not she was human was not of importance at the time. She wanted to get rid of the annoying, conceited bitch standing before her.

"Aw, why aren't you getting mad? Are you some type of mongoloid? Do you even know how to talk?" Frost was too busy verbally taunting the other woman. Because of her incessant jabber, Frost did not see Zeleve dissipate into a thick black cloud. It took Frost a few moments to realize Zeleve had pulled a fast one.

Exasperated, Frost looked around her and saw nothing. Her skills in combat had regressed considerably, due to being a nomad herself. Since betraying the Lin Kuei, Frost had no way of getting any training. This was her deficit; she _had_ no way of winning this fight, and she knew it. However, she wouldn't stop until Zeleve submitted.

The Enenra quickly reappeared behind Frost, wrapping her strong, yet slender arms around the other woman's neck. It definitely occurred to Frost that Zeleve was _not _human. Her inhuman speed and strength reminded her of someone who'd defeated her back at the Lin Kuei base in Arctika.

_Smoke._

But it was not relevant to either woman, and Frost could not even speak due to being in a tight choke-hold. As she gasped for air, Zeleve finally spoke in a low, menacing tone. "It would be wise of you to stay out of trouble. You never know what can happen if your words offend the wrong person, and it is a miracle that you aren't dead yet."

Zeleve kneed the female Cryomancer's back, earning a groan from inside her already struggling throat. Frost wriggled in the female Enenra's grasp, desperately trying to catch air.

"Now that you've been put in your place, get away from me if you wish to keep drawing breath," said the female Enenra, before loosening her grip on the suffocating ice-wielder and shoving her onto the ground.

Frost looked up at her opponent with blue fire burning in her eyes. Her face might have not shown any sign of fear, but she knew better. As such, she wisely fled the scene before receiving further humiliation.

Even after using most of her energy while fending off Mileena and Frost, the vapor demoness was glad to finally be alone with no one to bother her. Days followed with no one taunting or challenging her to fights, and it remained that way until she arrived at the cave.

That was where she now stood, expecting an attack.

The footsteps she heard before were soon followed by the sound of two male voices. One was deep and the other was mechanical. Both possessed foreign accents, though they were distinguishable.

_What is going on? They're getting closer... Could they be locals? _Zeleve thought. She took in a deep breath, but sensed an oddly familiar scent within the next few minutes.

Much too familiar. It was as though she knew who it belonged to. Curiosity started sinking in, and Zeleve soon found herself attracted to the scent, much to her own chagrin. Like a mosquito being intrigued by bright light, Zeleve was equally intrigued by the suspicious scent.

_If I recognize the scent, then that must mean that I'm safe. _

Zeleve quickly rendered herself invisible and silently crept out of the cave. It was then when she saw exactly _who _the scent belonged to.

She noticed a man dressed in black and grey armor, with eyes much like her own. His shoulder-length white hair seemingly defied gravity, freely floating behind him as he walked. Zeleve couldn't tell what his lower face looked like, since it was covered by a black and grey protective mask. She even noticed a yellow-armored cyborg accompanying the grey-clad man.

But for some odd reason, Zeleve didn't care about the cyborg. Her eyes remained focused on the quickly approaching male beside him.

"Cyrax," he suddenly spoke. "I sense her presence... Frost wasn't lying."

The man Zeleve now knew as Cyrax spoke next. "She is around here... I'm assuming she's invisible due to her powers."

_What are they talking about? Who is Frost? _Zeleve was asking herself. It wasn't until the mysterious man looked right at her that she unconsciously reappeared from her stealthy guise.

"By the Elder Gods..." Cyrax muttered. He exchanged a glance with the other male, whom was equally bewildered. "Frost _was _right, Smoke. And yet the woman she claims to have attacked still lives."

Zeleve was too stunned to speak. Heck, all three of them remained silent. Her eyes were _still _fixated on the frighteningly identical ones before her, and they returned the stare. That didn't stop her from slowly getting into a defensive stance, however. She had to do so in case these two men tried to launch an attack.

But neither Smoke or Cyrax seemed to want to fight, which was unusual in Zeleve's eyes. And something about Smoke eventually made her relax, but she did not know what it was.

She could not fight him.


	3. Apprehension

"_Distant memories thought to have been forgotten, were slowly remembered upon sighting each other..."_

* * *

Zeleve and Smoke had been staring at each other for what seemed like forever, both of them unable to utter a single word. It was as though they were in shock; like they'd known each other from a past life. They did not know what it was that caused them to react so strangely to the other's presence, but both Enenras mentally agreed upon it being some hypnotic form of deja vu. Despite the awkward silence between Zeleve and Smoke, the latter was able to see that his female counterpart was scared.

Cyrax watched the odd display from a few feet away, wondering if they were going to stand there, staring at each other forever. The cybernetic warrior knew that the female vapor demon would not last very long if Smoke did not coax her into accompanying them to the Lin Kuei temple. He had to find a way to snap both Enenras out of their trance-like state, and fast.

Zeleve looked at the white-haired man standing before her, fear lurking in her slitted silver eyes. She half-expected him to throw a punch or at least kick her, but he never did. When he first spotted her not even half an hour ago, he didn't offer to attack then, either. So Zeleve figured that if he really wanted to harm her, he would have done so by now.

But she couldn't pull her eyes away from his. She had no idea why, but she was almost certain that they knew each other; she had little to no memories of her past, after all.

The yellow-armored cyber-ninja's mechanical voice piped up after another long silence. "Smoke, we have been out here far longer than anticipated. The Grandmaster will send more warriors after us if we don't hurry and return to the temple."

Smoke's gaze quickly broke away from the woman's, and he slowly turned his head to face Cyrax. For a man known for being able to easily initiate conversation with just about anybody, now was one of the only times in his undead life where he found himself at a loss of words. He wondered if it had something to do with the female before him.

"Smoke...?" Cyrax prodded once more. He knew how Sub-Zero tended to worry when his underlings were gone for far too long, and while the Cryomancer was generally a very understanding man, Cyrax and Smoke knew better than to keep him waiting for longer than necessary. Their objective was to retrieve Zeleve, and escort her back to the temple for shelter.

The male Enenra turned to face the female once more, only this time, he spoke. "I know you're scared, but I promise I'm not going to hurt you."

Zeleve's eyes flickered downward, her silver stare now directed at the snow-covered ground. A silent, emotionless voice peeped from her pale, chapped lips as _she_ finally spoke. "You would have done so by now..."

Smoke saw the timidity in her posture; uncertainty lurking within and emanating from her body. He had yet to see her powers, but right now, his goal was to gain her trust and encourage her to accompany him and Cyrax back to the Lin Kuei base. He would focus on helping her hone her smoke-wielding abilities when the time called for it.

"You're not a threat to me, therefore I have no reason to hurt you," the male Enenra gently replied. Zeleve's eyelids lifted a bit, and her eyes now pierced into his again – only this time, she seemed more cooperative. She remembered overhearing him talking to the yellow-plated cyborg about a woman named Frost, and she was curious. The name sounded _awfully _familiar.

"I... don't know. I sensed it in your eyes... I knew you wouldn't hurt me, so I relaxed," Zeleve stammered. She wasn't much of a talker, unless the time truly called for it. But why was she stammering all of a sudden? Her knowledge of the English language came to her as naturally as her supernatural abilities, but she didn't even know her country of origin. And she would never admit it to anyone, but she felt very stupid and worthless for being so ignorant about her true identity. The only thing she remembered was her first name – if she had a last name, it was lost to history.

Smoke observed the woman's aloofness. Nightfall was quickly approaching, so he had to hurry and get her to open up more. Although the vapor demoness couldn't see it, Smoke noticed that she was shivering. How long she had been wandering around southern Greenland was unknown to him, but he didn't want to risk her dying out in the subzero weather.

"You're shivering," he calmly said. Zeleve looked up at Smoke with scared eyes, but quickly denied that the cold was even bothering her. Unfortunately, Smoke knew she was only being brave, so he stepped closer to her and pulled down his face mask. It was uncustomary for a Lin Kuei warrior to reveal his true face to an outsider or a non-ally, but Smoke figured that it would be a good way to prove to the woman trembling before him that he truly meant her no harm.

At first, Zeleve thought that Smoke's mouth would be filled with razor-sharp fangs, but to her surprise, what she saw was a manly, albeit slightly androgyous face. He had no fangs protruding from under his upper lip like she did, but it was because his were shorter and hidden – only true rage would cause them to reveal themselves. All in all, the man Zeleve once thought to be a threat was actually quite handsome, but she did not view him handsome in the romantic aspect.

Smoke and Cyrax watched as Zeleve wrapped her slender arms around herself in attempts to keep warm. "I am actually freezing out here."

"How long have you been wandering throughout these lands? And what is your name, young woman?" the male Enenra asked. He looked at her with endearing, sharp silver eyes as she opened her mouth to reply.

"A while, though I know not how long. My name is Zeleve."

Smoke bowed in the traditional Lin Kuei fashion. "An honor to meet you, Zeleve. I am Smoke, second-in-command of the legendary Lin Kuei."

Zeleve's eyebrow arched in confusion. "Lin Kuei? Aren't they from China?" She had heard myths about the once-corrupt clan during her trek back in Outworld when she first escaped Quan Chi's clutches inside Shao Kahn's fortress. That, however, was another story. All Zeleve cared about now was getting the answers she needed and possibly a more, _practical _shelter.

Smoke smirked at the woman's befuddlement. "_Was._ My Grandmaster, Sub-Zero, reformed the clan years ago. The new temple is not far from here. Sub-Zero and I were informed by a woman once known as Frost of your existence. She claimed to have challenged you to a fight several days ago, but that you defeated her with ease."

Zeleve now remembered the woman Smoke was referring to. That obnoxious wretch was her most recent opponent to date, and – already – she did not like the idea that the same woman who had attempted to kill her was still in the area. Unknown to the female Enenra, however, Frost was long dead. She was nothing but pure ash now. **  
**

"Where is she?" Zeleve wondered aloud. She was unable to hide the nervousness in her voice, much to her own chagrin. Smoke placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, smiling faintly.

"No need to worry about the traitor. She is no more," he said simply. Cyrax let out an exasperated, mechanical grunt, signaling to the two associating Enenras that time was of essence. They needed to get back to the Lin Kuei temple, before Sub-Zero's worrisome ways got the best of him. They didn't need their Grandmaster under any more pressure; he had endured enough while watching Smoke incinerate her.

Zeleve saw Smoke turning away from her, watching as he approached Cyrax. Immediate fear of being left alone coursed through her veins for some reason she could not explain. She was normally used to solitude, but something about Smoke made her drop her guard.

Desperately, she called out to him, "Smoke? Where are you two going?"

The white-haired man stopped in his tracks and turned around as he adjusted his mask back over his lower face. "Come along. You look famished and you'd benefit with warmer clothing. Any more longer out here alone and you'll surely die of hypothermia among other ailments. I will explain the rest upon arrival at the temple."

Zeleve's eyes brightened up a bit upon hearing the words of approval, and she trotted up beside the cyber-ninja (whom had been relatively silent) and her male counterpart. Their trip to the Lin Kuei base was silent, with only the sounds of the cold wind, slow, steady breathing, and Cyrax's mechanical gears whirring to accompany them.


	4. Clinging On

_"But I never forgot how close we used to be, before everything was taken away from us..."_

* * *

The two Enenras and the cyborg trekked southeast towards the location of the Lin Kuei temple in silence. Zeleve was shivering a lot more than she had been when Smoke and Cyrax had initially found her outside the cave hours earlier, so she was having a bit of trouble in keeping up with them. The temple was not very far off by this point, but the female Enenra was steadily growing anxious to get warm.

She thought about grabbing onto Smoke for warmth, but she stifled the urge. For some odd reason, Zeleve was more friendly towards the two Lin Kuei warriors than she'd ever been to any other person. Normally it would take her forever to open up and befriend a tentative ally, but why was she suddenly chummy-chummy with these two people – especially Smoke?

_I hope we hurry up and get there soon. I'm freezing and I'm beginning to be unable to feel my own feet._

Smoke suddenly turned to look at Zeleve, a sparse white eyebrow arched in confusion. He knew exactly what was going on in her mind, but _how_ he knew was something unexplainable.

_Did I seriously read her mind? She's cold and almost frostbitten by the feet. Maybe I should carry her the rest of the way,_" Smoke thought. He wondered if Zeleve was someone he knew from a past life. He wasn't for sure that she was in fact an Enenra, but he would find out eventually. Right now, although he now knew what he truly was, he had no way of telling if the woman walking beside him was someone he knew before he died.

"Maybe you should," Zeleve's voice peeped suddenly, jarring Smoke from his own thoughts. She, too, was aware of them. "You read my mind, obviously. And now I've read yours. Maybe we're telepathically connected somehow?" she asked him.

Smoke absently rubbed his neck with his hand, unsure of how to reply. For a woman seemingly oblivious of many things, she sure had caught on to her telepathic connection to him rather quickly. Cyrax stole a quick glance at the two dumbfounded Enenras and grunted in amusement. He never knew Smoke to be the awkward type. Normally when strange situations arose, he always had his own way of making everyone around him forget what happened in the first place.

He said no more as he swiftly grabbed Zeleve and carried her bridal-style. She did not expect Smoke to fulfill her request, but she did appreciate not having to walk the rest of the way. They walked for about fifteen more minutes before arriving to a quick stop.

"We're here," the cyborg suddenly said. Zeleve's eyes widened upon taking notice of the huge, cathedral-like dwelling before them. The vast part of the exterior was covered in sparkling white snow, with long, frosty icicles hanging like stalactites from the windows and gutters. To say that the Lin Kuei temple was beautiful would be putting it mildly.

"This is where you live?" Zeleve asked, looking up at Smoke. He looked down at her and nodded. He couldn't reply, due to slight nervousness building up inside him. The male Enenra had notably grown more silent than what was usual of him. Cyrax knew that it was because it was now late in the evening, and Sub-Zero would most likely be upset with them for taking so long.

Smoke gently put Zeleve back onto the ground again. "It's best that you begin to adjust to these climates. You'll be out here quite a bit in due time. It's only a few minutes to the main temple doors, so you should not have any issues with walking from here to there."

Zeleve seemed confused by his statement, but said nothing. She followed as Smoke and Cyrax approached the two blue-clad guards standing outside of the temple gates. As expected, both men bowed before them, opening the huge wrought-iron gates to grant them entry. One of the guards noticed the woman accompanying the male cyborg and their second-in-command, and were about to stop her – until Smoke told him to stand down.

"Dimiro, she is a guest," Smoke told him. The guard nodded in understanding, but although he wanted to ask him if the Grandmaster knew about Zeleve, he knew better than to interfere with what did not concern him.

"Yes, Smoke," Dimiro quickly said with another curt nod, which the male Enenra returned. Zeleve smiled faintly at the guards as she silently followed Cyrax and her male counterpart inside the courtyard. A tundra of dry, frozen land, Zeleve noticed icy sculptures of mythical beings and the like adorning random spots on the ground. She felt nervous, but thought nor said anything until they finally crossed the long path across the courtyard and reached the front doors outside a huge building. She assumed that the two large, heavy doors were the main entrance to the Lin Kuei temple.

She assumed right, because when two other guards let them in, all she saw was a plethora of men walking along the halls, dressed in blue. Few others were dressed in grey as well. While these men didn't seem to acknowledge her presence in the temple foyer, Zeleve in fact noticed how well they were clothed in comparison to her. All she had on was a drab peacoat with flimsy, worn boots. Underneath it, she simply wore the black leotard Quan Chi had provided her when he first captured her.

To say the least, Zeleve felt like a haggardly bum compared to the Lin Kuei clansmen surrounding her.

Suddenly, before Smoke could introduce her to the clan, Zeleve felt her head pounding. She groaned in pain, clasping her small hands onto the front of her head as she fell to her knees. She trembled a lot more now than she did before, and it wasn't long until she finally collapsed onto the hard marble floor tiles. Just as Smoke and Cyrax quickly came to her aid, Zeleve's senses started to shut down - her superhuman vision becoming black.


	5. Bittersweet

"_And that's when I realized that we were a part of each other..."_

* * *

Smoke and Cyrax quickly scrambled over to where Zeleve lay. She was curled in a fetal position, and though she was unconscious, the look of fear remained on her sleeping countenance. Smoke knew that she was literally trembling from the cold after having been in the freezing outdoors for so long. And he also was aware of the fact that a person suffering from hypothermia normally did not hold their heads in pain. Nor did they let out an inhuman growl like the sleeping woman below him had.

The male Enenra noticed his fellow Lin Kuei watching them, and in exasperation, he ordered them to leave his sight. More specifically, he yelled at them to return to their chambers. Quickly and without any talk-back, the lesser warriors retreated to their corresponding bedchambers.

"Is she breathing, Cyrax?" Smoke asked the cyborg after the foyer was cleared. Cyrax did not have a way of showing any human facial expression, but he silently grabbed Zeleve's wrist in an attempt to check her pulse.

The Lin Kuei were trained for these types of emergencies, especially during missions. Sub-Zero knew of the possible dangers when travelling alone, so he had long ago made it clear to his subordinates that they should _always_ have a fellow clansman with them in case a serious threat arose. That being said, if two men were out on a mission and one faltered, the other one had enough first aid training just to ensure their survival. If all else failed, the survivor _had _to bring their fallen comrade back to the temple for a proper burial.

Smoke felt himself inexplicably becoming more anxious as he waited for his cybernetic clan-brother to thoroughly calculate his female counterpart's heart rate. Once Cyrax's internal processors picked up on Zeleve's heartbeat, he placed another hand over her chest to make sure she was indeed alive, as his computer programming would occasionally malfunction.

Before he could give the male Enenra an affirmative answer, Cyrax told him to be patient. The cyber-ninja may not have had a human face, therefore he was incapable of making any human facial expressions. However, despite that permanent flaw, Cyrax still had the ability to speak normally (though his voice remained robotic), and make normal hand gestures.

"Is there life within her?" Smoke asked Cyrax again, only this time slight anxiety crept into his voice. He didn't know or understand why he felt such a huge surge of sadness for Zeleve, but there was _something_ about her that was familiarly peculiar. Even if he did not yet know who or _what _Zeleve was, Smoke could not afford to see the woman die.

Cyrax turned to Smoke once he was sure that Zeleve was alive. "She's still alive, thankfully. However, I do not know exactly what caused her to faint. I truthfully suspect that she has an important value to her."

"Obvious sorcery," a familiar voice said suddenly. Cyrax and Smoke turned around to see Sub-Zero casually walking toward them. The Cryomancer seemed uninterested, judging by his icy, stern glare; but Smoke knew better.

"How can you be certain, Kuai Liang?" Cyrax asked his Grandmaster as the latter crouched beside Zeleve's unconscious form. The blue-clad clan leader simply shrugged, choosing to not answer his cybernetic warrior's inquiry.

"He's got a point, Cyrax," Smoke piped up, agreeing with Sub-Zero's declaration. A man known for his exceptional wisdom, many within the Lin Kuei knew that ninety-nine percent of the time, Sub-Zero's opinions were indeed fact. As it was, it did not make the blue-eyed man better than anyone else. Kuai Liang was _still _human at the end of the day.

"Heh," the cyborg grunted. "He always does."

Sub-Zero said nothing, although Cyrax's quip slightly aggravated him. Instead, he looked at Smoke with a raised eyebrow. "There are a few spare guest quarters in the hallway near your chamber. Have the nursemaids take a good look at her after you get her settled."

Smoke nodded in response. "I will do that as soon as possible."

"Very well. I'll have a talk with Raiden in a few days and see what he knows about the woman." Kuai Liang then turned to face the cyborg. "Follow me. I need to talk to you about something."

Cyrax obediently stood to follow the Grandmaster, leaving Smoke to care for Zeleve. It was clear that Sub-Zero was not lying when he said that he wanted nothing to do with the female. But as Tomas watched his Grandmaster and the cyborg walk into a nearby meeting chamber and close the large wooden doors behind them, he noticed Zeleve twitch slightly.

"Shh..." Smoke whispered as the woman stirred, whimpering slightly. The white-haired man figured that Sub-Zero was going to discuss Zeleve with Cyrax. Not that he actually cared, but Smoke did not appreciate Sub-Zero's sudden coldness towards him, especially towards the female who'd not even done any damage. As such, in efforts to not get angry, Tomas lifted Zeleve into his arms, before gently standing to his full height.

Then he heard a slow hiss.

Smoke looked down and saw Zeleve snuggled in his hold as he continued to walk towards the guest quarters on his end of the hall.

_So peaceful, _he thought as he smiled slightly. Even if he denied it out loud, to him, Zeleve wasn't a bad person. Time would always tell, anyway; it almost always had a weird way of changing fates.


	6. Memories?

**A/N:** Well, I know a few of you wanted some more Cyrax, so here you go.

* * *

"_It was as though we were made from the same beings – some call it a family,  
others call it a spiritual connection..."_

* * *

The Cryomancer and his cyborg underling stood at arms length from each other, silently observing the other's body language. Sub-Zero's eyes were so full of indecipherable emotion, especially when he had his trademark mask over his lower face. As it was, only those closest to the ice-wielder knew when he was actually brooding over something.

Cyrax knew that the mysterious woman was the main cause of the Grandmaster's sudden discomfort. Although Sub-Zero had reluctantly permitted Smoke to go out into the desolate outskirts of Arctika to fetch the woman, he now inwardly wondered if he was right in letting his best friend do so.

Sub-Zero wasn't exactly prepared for another outsider to take refuge in his stronghold, mainly due to the chaos Frost had started during her time with the Lin Kuei. He _knew _he was being irrationally hostile towards Smoke for bringing Zeleve into the temple, but the why was unknown.

Cyrax eventually grew uncomfortable with his Grandmaster's silence. "Is something troubling you, Sub-Zero?" he asked cautiously. He knew better than to flat-out demand any explanation from his superior, considering that the blue-clad male seldom discussed his worries with anyone other than Smoke.

But why on earth was Sub-Zero planning to discuss anything of importance to Cyrax?

"It's Tomas, Cyrax," Kuai Liang said, after another long silence. "I don't know what it is with him and that woman you guys brought here. Something about this entire ordeal seems... strange."

Cyrax had to agree. Neither he or the Cryomancer knew Smoke to be so compassionate towards women, particularly outsiders. Tomas had never fallen in love, and how he was treating the woman in question was something unusual. It was as though the Enenra had some sort of mutual connection with the female. Both Sub-Zero and Cyrax had a hunch that this was a romantic type of affection.

"Strange, indeed," Cyrax concurred. "Tomas never acts so loving towards women. He is friendly, yes, but not as friendly as he seems to be towards the female."

Sub-Zero decided to find out exactly how the mission went. "That is indeed fact. He is my best friend, and you and I basically grew up with him under the rule of the old Grandmaster. There is no doubt in my mind that we know everything about Smoke." He paused, taking in a deep breath before laboring his exhale. "All facts aside, Cyrax... Tell me _exactly _what transpired when you and Tomas found the female. I need to understand what in all the realms is going on here."

"Well, Grandmaster..." Cyrax started. "The woman was invisible at first, but just as we approached a nearby cave, Tomas literally stopped walking. I'm guessing he picked up some sort of scent, and my heat sensors confirmed that there was another being close by."

Sub-Zero crossed his arms over his broad chest, dark eyebrows furrowing in curiosity. "So the woman has the ability to become invisible to the untrained human eye."

"Precisely. Smoke stood there for a while, until he looked in her direction. I do not know how to explain what happened, but when Smoke looked directly ahead of him, the woman literally reappeared from thin air."

Though it was hard to tell, the Cryomancer was now intrigued, albeit puzzled. "Interesting. What is her name, assuming she has one?"

Cyrax leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Her name is Zeleve. We don't have a last name, and my database does not have much information regarding her origins. All I do know is that she is an Earthrealmer. Her past and actual country of birth is unknown."

"Thank you, Cyrax. I'll find out her history once I speak with the thunder god. Now, if you don't mind, please leave me be. I need time to think... Or perhaps serious meditation is in order."

Sub-Zero felt a surge of guilt course through him. He trusted his best friend and the cyborg, but he also needed to make sure that Zeleve was safe enough to remain in the temple. Cyrax understood Sub-Zero's neurosis; they all had suffered in Frost's presence. Hopefully when Raiden arrived in a few days, everything would be cleared out.

"Yes, Grandmaster," Cyrax said, nodding curtly and exiting the room, leaving the Grandmaster behind to wallow in his confusion.

* * *

After Smoke had Zeleve settled and thoroughly checked out by the nursemaids, he stayed behind to ensure that she did not wake up and get into any trouble. He was well aware that Sub-Zero was annoyed with many things, and did not want any confrontations. Not on his watch.

The male Enenra watched the woman as she slept soundly atop the twin-sized mattress, dozing off the more he stared. Zeleve was snuggled under the thick comforter, and the only visible part of her physique was the top of her head. She was still cold at first, but it seemed that she was warming up again after the hot bath she had been given.

_I know you're there... _

Smoke flinched slightly in his seat. He had somehow dozed off, but was quickly aware of his surroundings once Zeleve's voice made itself known in his mind. It was clear that they had the ability to read each other's thoughts, but Tomas couldn't help but wonder how it was possible. They didn't even know each other!

"I am," he said at last. "I've been here since you wiped out in the foyer."

Zeleve yawned from her spot in the bed, slowly turning around to face her male counterpart. When she opened her eyes, she saw Tomas looking at her with a contorted expression. It was clear to her that he was freaked out by this strange ability to read thoughts and have his read.

"Where am I?" she asked, sitting up. She looked around the small room, noticing that the walls were painted a gloomy shade of grey. On one side of the bed, there was a minimalistic nightstand with nothing on top. The only light that came into the room was that from the moon visible just outside the large window to Zeleve's left. Nothing else was there, except the wooden chair Smoke currently occupied.

To say the least, the room seemed to resemble the kind often found in psychiatric hospitals.

"You're in one of the guest chambers on my end of the hall. Do not worry, you're safe."

Zeleve frowned, remembering the man's strange promise from the night they first met. _"I know you're scared, but I'm not willing to hurt you."_

"You told me the other night that you were not willing to hurt me. If I had not agreed to come here – wherever I am – would you have attacked me?"

Smoke frowned in confusion. "Not at all. Why would I hurt someone who isn't even a threat to myself or anyone else I hold dear?"

"Just making sure, Smoke," Zeleve grumbled. She felt strange, and did not know why. Then she recalled her fight with that crazy, blue-eyed woman several weeks ago, but chose not to ask about her.

"Call me Tomas."

Zeleve looked down, fiddling with the patterns sewn into the thick blanket. His name seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't discern whether or not she had ever known him. Looking up, she saw Smoke looking outside the window and into the darkness. The nonchalant expression his eyes held triggered a strange memory, causing Zeleve to widen her eyes in slight fear.

* * *

"_No! Don't touch him!" a young girl screamed, crying as she watched several men garbed in white snatch her only living relative from their makeshift shelter. The men ignored the wailing girl's pleas to leave the boy alone, and beat the child unconscious before throwing him onto the bed of a rusted pick-up truck._

"_Silent, child! Our demon-god deserves his sacrifice. Be grateful that it is this child and not you," one of the men, presumably the cult leader, shouted. The black-haired child tried to beg the cloaked man to leave her cousin alone, going as far as to grab the hem of the pagan garment before he kicked her to the side. Her body hit the ground in an unceremonious heap._

_She felt bad for being unable to stop these intruders from taking her closest cousin, and because she was young, she did not have the strength or ability to fight them off. Her cousin did not know how to fight, either, so that flaw made both children vulnerable to physical violence or any other attack. _

"_Wherever they take you, Cousin... fight back. Don't give up..." she whispered as the cultists drove off into the dark, outskirted abyss of Prague. She remained there for several hours, grieving in silence. It wasn't until the end of the night when she decided to crawl back into the abandoned building she called home. _

_Avenging her beloved older cousin would happen; just not now._

* * *

Zeleve started panicking after the strange flashback subsided, only to look up at Smoke with watery eyes. She had never in her life suffered such vivid playbacks, and when this inexplicable memory popped up in her mind, she was justifiably bewildered.

"What on earth just happened?" Tomas asked, crouching on one knee besides the bed. He noticed that Zeleve was trembling, so it was clear to him that she may have had some form of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I...ha-had..." Zeleve choked out, still shaking violently as she buried her face in her small hands. Smoke stood before sitting down on the edge of her bed. Reluctantly, he wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"Take a few deep breaths, Zeleve," he soothed. He was just as astonished as she was, but like the other events that occurred within the past several hours, this one was much worse in terms of oddness.

Zeleve obeyed, taking several deep breaths before exhaling slowly. She kept repeating this action before she felt her heartbeat slow down a bit. She did not know whether or not she should discuss her flashback with the Enenra sitting beside her, but since she knew he'd find out via telepathy, she decided to tell him.

"A flashback..." she slowly started. "I don't remember much, but this memory... Some little girl and her older cousin were orphans. They lived in an abandoned building in the rural sections of some European city, until one day..."

Smoke raised an inquisitive eyebrow. To him, the story seemed pretty familiar. "Go on."

Zeleve took another deep breath before speaking again. "Until one day, a group of cloaked men came and kidnapped the boy, beat him unconscious, and threw him onto a truck bed."

The male Enenra flinched slightly. He knew of all the evil things, having been in the Lin Kuei for so long. From murdering enemies, to stealing, kidnapping young children, and Mortal Kombat, Tomas had seen it all. However, although he may have suppressed any feelings of remorse back then, he now felt an unstoppable surge of pity for Zeleve. Stunned, he forced himself to ask, "They did this horrible act in front of the girl?"

"Yes..." Zeleve peeped, before bursting into tears all over again. "I don't... I don't know why I'm being affected by these... flashbacks... all of a sudden. I've never experienced them. Never!"

Smoke saw the fear written all over her face. She was definitely shaken up, and something deep within the male Enenra told him that this woman was definitely a major part of someone's life. Unless she was using this as a form of manipulation, of course. At this point, there was no telling whatsoever who Zeleve was and who she might possibly be related to – if she even knew that herself.

"This is all too strange," Smoke admonished, rising to his full height. Rubbing his temples with his fingertips, his eyes flickered up to look at Zeleve. "You know what? It's been a very long, tiresome day for the both of us."

Zeleve nodded in agreement as she wiped the tears from her eyes with her nightgown sleeve. "You do look tired yourself... Do you ever sleep?"

"Every night when I can. Also, if you need anything... summon me. Evidently we can read each other's minds. There are more clothes in the closet if you care enough to look, and the bathroom is right behind that other door," Smoke said, pointing to each door he was referring to.

Smiling in understanding, despite feeling lost and slightly disoriented, Zeleve bade the male Enenra a good night before she watched him walk out the door.

Many mysterious questions would have to be answered, indeed.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you go. The flashback is self-explanatory, but I don't want to give too much away so soon. You'll be seeing more of those in future chapters.


	7. Invading Dreams and Strongholds

"_But it pains me to know that I was never able to save you..."_

* * *

Smoke sat on the edge of his bed, quietly trying to gather his thoughts. Ever since Zeleve came into the picture not even two days ago, things between the male Enenra and his best friend had been tense. Sub-Zero had grown cold – pun intended – towards him, especially when Zeleve was brought up. In fact, Kuai Liang hadn't even bothered to check up on Smoke _or _Zeleve.

_Why is he ignoring me all of a sudden? _Tomas thought as he glanced down on the hardwood floor. He couldn't understand Sub-Zero's reasons for shunning him. It was unlikely for the Cryomancer to just up and distance himself from a man he'd always looked to as a brother since the old days, especially when Smoke was there for the grief-stricken Cryomancer after Bi-Han was murdered during a mission many years ago. Even before then, Smoke and Sub-Zero _were _brothers, and it didn't matter if they were not related by blood. Whenever the latter was feeling down, Tomas was always willing to help him feel more confident. But why _was_ Kuai Liang avoiding him? Smoke did not know, because the Grandmaster didn't talk to him about it – but he was certain it had something to do with Zeleve.

Zeleve wasn't running around the temple, killing and challenging anyone to fights. She was _not _Frost, not by a long shot. Both were women, yes. They both had powers, also. But Smoke knew that her personality was much more compassionate in comparison to Frost's. They were different, and Tomas believed that.

Obviously, he had no way to prove his Grandmaster that the female Enenra was not a threat, granted that she was an outsider to the clan. But Sub-Zero himself had given Smoke permission to bring her to the temple, hadn't he? So _why_ was he being a heartless prick now? It didn't make much sense to Smoke; when the other was upset, it was always discussed and settled in a professional and personal manner.

Sub-Zero was definitely affected badly by what Frost had done, and did not trust many other outsiders as a result. And even if the Cryomancer denied it, it was certain that everyone residing inside the Lin Kuei temple already knew. Was it hatred? Resentment? Hell, Smoke didn't know the truthful answer, but he was determined to confront his best friend about the issue in the morning. He wasn't about to let a helpless woman ruin his long-lasting friendship with Kuai Liang. They had their differences, but at the end of the day, Smoke thought his best friend's behavior was very childish.

The other warriors didn't bother Zeleve, much like how she didn't bother them. She wasn't a problem, at least not yet, anyway. Sure, she had a sudden onset of vivid flashbacks that she couldn't explain, but aside from that, Zeleve was actually charming. She reminded Tomas of a little lost kitten searching for a new home, one that she found upon encountering him that evening.

_She doesn't even bother anyone! I _have_ to prove to Kuai Liang that she's not a troublesome person... __I think I'll just check on her one final time and then get some sleep, _Smoke finally decided. He was harboring a mild headache from all that thinking, and wanted to get some rest – but first, he needed to be sure that Zeleve was still in her room and alive.

* * *

Zeleve was sleeping rather comfortably, snoring lightly while cuddling against the pillow. It had been a while since she'd slept in a bed, and so far those flashbacks hadn't been bothering her. Her subconscious mind figured that it was because Smoke wasn't present in the room anymore, so he was probably the trigger.

As if on cue, her breathing suddenly stopped in mid-sleep. Zeleve stayed there, in the bed with her eyes shut tightly, tears slipping from her closed eyelids. She wasn't awake at all, but her subconscious mind kept telling her that someone was there to harm her. With cat-like reflexes, she dug her nails into the satin pillowcase, hissing as those pesky flashbacks invaded her mind once more.

The person triggering this new flashback was nearby...

* * *

A mysterious man lurked about near the perimeter of the Lin Kuei temple, observing the guards who stood just outside the temple gates. The two guards seemed tired enough, struggling to keep their eyes open – which was perfect for the unknown being to slip on through.

Quickly treading through the icy terrain, Noob Saibot made his way towards the temple gates before becoming one with the shadows. He was now invisible, and could easily sneak past the two Lin Kuei guards without being noticed – and more importantly, without having to kill them.

The wraith had to cover his tracks if he wanted to infiltrate the temple, and was ordered by his master to refrain from doing any killing unless truly necessary. He didn't _want _to run into his brother, either. At all.

He didn't have too much of an issue with Smoke, since the Enenra wasn't a primary concern at the moment. But Noob hated Sub-Zero for many reasons, most of which were unknown to everyone else but the Cryomancer. In Noob's undead eyes, Kuai Liang was just a moody coward using compassion as an excuse to not kill. And while Noob mentally berated Sub-Zero for not wanting to kill, he didn't know that his younger brother killed Frost. Noob _did _know, however, that if Sub-Zero were to catch him while in the midst of his mission, he'd end up receiving a lecture about being saved and such - and he didn't have time for chit-chat. Due to the importance of this mission, Noob had promised himself that if Sub-Zero or Smoke interfered, he'd immediately dispose of them without remorse.

The wraith wasn't in the Netherrealm instead, because Quan Chi had sent him here. After Mileena had failed in capturing the female Noob only knew as Zeleve, the sorcerer hired Noob in the Tarkatan's place. The shadowy demon had never seen the woman he was hired to capture, so there was no way he knew how she looked. The only women inside the temple, according to Noob's knowledge, were the maids and Frost. And knowing how Sub-Zero had reformed the once corrupt Lin Kuei clan, Noob wagered that the former had probably taught all the women basic self-defense.

Now that he'd gotten past the main temple gates, Noob started to dart towards the main entrance, before noticing two more guards on either side of both double doors.

_Shit, _he cursed inwardly. _I wish my damn brother hadn't abandoned the old Lin Kuei temple. Guess Kuai Liang isn't as stupid as I originally thought. _

Still under the guise of a simple shadow, Noob could tell that these guards were much more alert than the ones outside the gates. He didn't need to have his misson objective stalled by these men; as such, a sacrifice had to be made in order for him to get in.

Noob decided to mess with the guards a bit, since he was considerably bored. He'd been hanging around in Arctika for quite some time now, and needed a small dose of entertainment, even if it was brutally cruel in nature. He let out a demonic chuckle, to which one of the guards flinched very hard. The other guard took notice, and as expected, both men quickly summoned ice into their palms.

_You mean to tell me my brother gave these fools some of his own power over ice? What in the nine levels of Netherrealm is this shit?_

Noob didn't expect the Lin Kuei guards to have any sort of elemental power, and Quan Chi hadn't warned him of this, either. The demon didn't want to kill anyone just yet, but right now, it looked like he had no other choice. Frustrated, but still calm, the wraith quickly disposed of both tensed-up men by hurling two shuriken at them. Not a scream or grunt was heard, since neither Lin Kuei heard or saw their deaths coming. Noob took sadistic pleasure when both guards fell to the ground in a bloodied heap before his eyes.

"Fucking easy," he said, an evil grin forming beneath his dark mask. His mission was now in effect, and no one – not even Kuai Liang or Tomas – would be able to stop him.

* * *

**A/N: **Noob Saibot is now officially part of the plot! He'll only make cameo appearances, but he's still important to this story. You'll see!


	8. Unexpected Revelations

**A/N: **We all know that Smoke and Zeleve can communicate via telepathy. To further avoid confusion while you read, from this chapter onward, Zeleve's telepathic dialogue will be in regular italic with Smoke's in bold italic. Their independent thoughts will be obvious, since it'll be mentioned when they're thinking and not telepathically communicating with one another.

* * *

_"And now I can see you standing right in front of me, oblivious to my existence..."_

* * *

Smoke quietly made his way toward Zeleve's chamber, before hearing frightened whimpers and screams echoing down the halls. He knew it had to be her. There were no other women in this side of the temple and all of the maids were sleeping in their own barracks on the third floor. An unstoppable instinct to protect suddenly consumed him once he heard the same female voice scream out a profanity in a familiar language.

_What the hell? _He thought, stopping momentarily. He recognized that language, and that unexplainable urge took over his judgment. As a result, Tomas teleported inside Zeleve's chamber with haste.

"By the Elder Gods..." Smoke muttered upon seeing hell before his own astonished eyes. What he saw after stepping out from his grey haze was indescribable and the insanity surrounding him made him freeze in place.

"_Vyser si!_ Get away from me!" Zeleve screamed, holding a smoke grenade in her tiny hand. She aimed it at no one in particular. From what Smoke could see, Zeleve's eyes were shut tight and she was also facing the wall. He also noticed the sheer panic written all over her face. No one else was in the room with her, and no one was actually hurting her. These outrageous actings further supported the evidence of post-traumatic stress. Smoke figured that Zeleve's flashbacks had evidently distrupted her sleep, hence her frantic behavior. Tomas couldn't help but just stand there and look around the entire chamber with a shocked expression on his face.

The entire room was a mess. The nightstand was flipped over and the bed in complete disarray with the bedspread and sheets scattered on the floor... It was as though the woman before him had been possessed by an evil spirit. After all, it was possible; Smoke had seen possessed spirits himself – more times than he could possibly count. Seeing all of this damage, guilt immediately started consuming him.

_Maybe this is why Sub-Zero is acting like that... He was right, and almost always is._

Smoke started to understand his friend's paranoia, though at first he'd subconsciously chocked it up to Sub-Zero being jealous of his budding relationship with the female. Now, it was slowly making sense to him. When Frost had joined the Lin Kuei, she didn't act all psycho. Sure, she'd been arrogant while interacting with her peers, but her first days inside the temple were otherwise normal.

The poor male Enenra didn't know what else to do. However, he knew he had options. One was to subdue Zeleve, and fight it out of her. He didn't want to do that. His other choice was to leave the room and get one of the Lin Kuei guards to intervene.

_That will only make things worse, _Smoke said to himself. He already had enough on his plate because of Zeleve, and he didn't need any more problems. With a frantic woman ruining the room, to the sudden tension between him and Sub-Zero... it was unbearable. Smoke was already freaked the hell out after having heard Zeleve say a profane phrase in Czech.

But _was_ that Czech? There was only one way to find out, even if it meant that he would have to use physical force on the woman. He didn't want to hurt her, but then he saw Zeleve throw the grenade on the floor near his feet. That was when Smoke knew that restraining her would be the best option. Basically, the "use force now, ask questions later" type of deal had to be done.

"Zeleve, calm yourself!" he finally shouted, stomping on the grenade before it exploded. It was revealed just then that the grenade didn't explode once it hit the ground as it should have. This told Smoke two things: that Zeleve's powers over the element weren't strong enough to cause an impact, and that the fear consuming her weakened her self-control. He knew from experience that in order to have complete control over his powers, he had to regulate his emotions first.

And Zeleve _really _needed serious training in order to get her emotions in check. With these flashbacks, it would prove to be difficult since Smoke didn't even know what the hell was wrong with her. He figured he'd find out in due time. Right now, he needed to subdue her before she got both of them in serious trouble with the Grandmaster. The most Sub-Zero would do is scold the woman and reprimand Smoke, anyway. But with the whole tension between the two friends active, Smoke knew that Sub-Zero would most likely verbally lash out due to his short fuse. And he didn't want that. He had a serious problem standing right in front of him.

He watched on as Zeleve continued to punch the walls in a frenzy before he finally realized that her rambunctiousness would eventually wake everyone up. In quick desperation, he wasted no time in tackling the woman onto the ground. Zeleve instinctively fought against him as she tried to get free, but with Smoke being the stronger of the two, he easily subdued her, pinning her down into submission.

Naturally, Zeleve tried kicking at him in efforts to fling him off of her back, but Smoke knew that she'd snap out of it. With the panicking female flailing, hissing and snarling like a rabid animal beneath him, Smoke didn't even expect anything from her little secret weapon. Blinded by an urge to defend himself, Zeleve's "weapon" eventually made itself known as two sharp needles sunk into his pale, muscular flesh.

Zeleve had obviously latched her fangs onto Smoke's forearm, which had been clamped around her neck. How she'd managed to crane her neck downward just to bite him was something; the average human female wasn't physically able to maneuver herself in such a flawless form. Regardless of that fact, Smoke didn't yelp, despite the excruciating pain. Normally, when stabbed or hit, he'd let out cries of pain. Not this time. He didn't want Zeleve to get the impression that he was afraid of her, although for the first time in his life, he actually _was _scared shitless. Smoke was already shaking and panting from the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He wanted to cry out as Zeleve dug her fangs deeper into his flesh. It hurt! Instead, he gritted his teeth while squinting his eyes shut until the pain subsided.

How could he have forgotten that females of his kind – if she was in fact an Enenra, anyway – had very sharp fangs? He had fangs as well, but unlike Zeleve's, they weren't visible. Like a king cobra, Smoke's fangs would only expose themselves when he was seriously threatened. But he did not like to use his teeth as a defense mechanism. This was another reason why he always wore his mask during missions or battle.

While Zeleve still tried to get him off of her, Smoke didn't budge. He felt himself fearing for his own life just then, for reasons unknown. The trembling got worse for him. His heart started pounding in his chest like drums and his namesake started wafting from his palms. Smoke knew that if he didn't attack now, his powers would harm her. That was when a renewed urge to survive kicked in and took over control. For the first time ever, Smoke's _own _fangs jutted out. He'd never bitten anyone before, but this time called for it. Remembering the things he'd read about Enenras back when he had done research, he bit Zeleve right back on her shoulder, earning a loud hiss from the woman's drawn back lips.

Zeleve – to Smoke's surprise – started snapping out of her panic attack upon being bitten. She shook beneath Smoke's chokehold, panting uncontrollably. He expected her to scream out loud when he bit her, but she didn't. Smoke's teeth were still buried deep within Zeleve's shoulder and he was watching her movements. He didn't want to harm her any further, and despite having been bitten and biting her back in retaliation, he still felt a pang of guilt for having allowed a simple flashback to get out of control. But in a matter of minutes, which seemed like hours, Zeleve's senses slowly reawakened. Her eyes drooped, signaling exhaustion, before she realized that Smoke was still restraining her with his fangs still digging into her skin. She slowly turned her head around to face him once she felt completely calm, and saw the frustration in his eyes. And he was panting in efforts to calm _himself_ down.

She saw the anger in the man's eyes, eventually realizing that his teeth were still clamped over her shoulder. Her senses weren't fully stable just yet, so at this point she was out of it. "What happened? And why are you biting me?" she quietly asked, fear lurking within her voice.

Smoke took a deep breath before removing his mouth from Zeleve's now bleeding wound. Still panting from that extremely high adrenaline rush, he already felt horrible for tonight's events and didn't want to talk. He took several deep breaths before he decided to reply to her telepathically; he didn't need any confrontations from his fellow Lin Kuei over a damn panic attack. Shit was already out of control as far as he was concerned.

_**You had a panic attack, Zeleve. Can't you see the havoc you wreaked in here as a result? You bit me when I tried to subdue you, and I bit you back in return.**_

"Oh... Wait, you _bit _me?" Zeleve peeped. When Smoke looked at her as though she was insane, she flinched. Smoke had just been asked the same question not even five minutes ago! Once he calmed down a bit more, he realized that Zeleve was still out of it. She looked just as freaked out as Smoke probably did.

_**I did. It might not be obvious to you, but I have a feeling that you're an Enenra. You have fangs, much like my own. The only difference is that mine are hidden while yours remain visible.**_

Her mind suddenly reeled back to when Frost had called her a freak of nature, referring to her atypical appearance. An Enenra? Is that what the female Cryomancer had meant? Zeleve hadn't ever heard of the term before. She felt stupid. Justifiably, she now wanted answers.

"What the hell is an Enenra?" she suddenly snapped, shoving Smoke off of her. She wasn't panicking anymore from those flashbacks, but the anger definitely showed in her silver eyes. Smoke had no choice to answer her, and Zeleve would make sure of it. She stood, towering over her male counterpart in just a thick cotton nightgown.

_**Enenras are undead beings created from smoke and vapor. I am one. You seem to have the same abilities as I do. The grenade I saw in your hand once before I tackled you... That is enough evidence. And you don't remember your past, correct?**_

Zeleve nodded. Now they were getting somewhere with this strange discovery. Still, she couldn't help but frown. "I don't remember much of anything, other than my first name. And how do you know I can control smoke? All you saw was a damn grenade, Tomas!"

Smoke rolled his eyes as he rolled over and pushed himself up onto all fours with his hands. The woman was oblivious, much like he had been at first. A little reassuring on his behalf wouldn't be so bad, would it?

_**I can form grenades and bombs with my powers, woman. And I know you're freaked out. I was pissed off about it too when I found out that **_**my **_**life had been taken from me when I was just a boy trying to survive in the Czech Republic. I lost out on so much, and whatever family I had never saw me again. Too bad I can't even remember if I had a damn family...**_

Zeleve's eyes widened when her mind received Smoke's telepathic message. She knew that she felt connected to this man for some odd reason. She suddenly remembered bits and pieces of her past, and it couldn't have been possible that this man standing before her was the same man she saw in her flashback, except in child form.

"You... You're the boy I saw in my flashback! The boy the cultists stole from the girl!" Zeleve gasped, falling down to her knees as she started to cry again. If Smoke's life was a lie, then that meant that Zeleve's had been as well.

Smoke stole a quick glance in her direction, immediate pity overtaking his thoughts for the poor woman. A light switch flipped in his mind. He saw the face of a young girl - age ten at most - begging white-garbed men to not take the boy from her. His mind replayed everything Zeleve had seen in her flashback, and when it finally hit him...

He realized that this crying woman on her knees before him was his long forgotten cousin.


	9. An Undead Family Reunion

Noob Saibot had already killed several guards after having broken into the temple a little over an hour ago. As he crept around the quiet, empty halls trying to make sure that his brother wasn't aware of anything, bittersweet memories started distracting him. The wraith's thoughts drifted to the possibility of getting caught and having to face his brother. Despite his new hatred for Kuai Liang, Noob did not want to see or fight him. Confronting his younger brother would only stall his mission.

Noob didn't know it, but Sub-Zero was far too cunning. Nothing escaped his attention – but that was now. Back then, Bi-Han was always the smarter one of the brothers. Kuai Liang's main deficit now as an adult were his emotional tendencies, and Noob knew that fact very well.

When they were children living under Sektor's father's rule, Kuai Liang was _always _the one who had trouble with suppressing his emotions. He was aloof and often cast aside by nearly everyone else, except for Smoke and Bi-Han himself. Bi-Han seemingly had no problem in shutting off all his human feelings of remorse, pity, or guilt while out on a mission. Unlike Kuai Liang, whom was thought to have been bipolar by many of their peers, Bi-Han always got the job done with efficiency and skill. Those were some of the things that had earned him the number one spot within the Elite tier. Sektor and Cyrax were second and third, with Kuai Liang being the very last one after Tomas.

Smoke wasn't moody, either. He was the optimistic one, known for cracking jokes during tense situations. Unsurprisingly, he always had a way of getting away with pranks because of his evasiveness as an Enenra. At the time, humor of any sort was frowned upon in the Lin Kuei. That didn't stop young Smoke from goofing around with awkward Tundra. Both the Enenra and little Cryomancer used to always get flogged by the Grandmaster every time they'd been caught, much to Bi-Han's chagrin.

Bi-Han may have been cold then, but he still cared about his younger brother. Whenever Tundra needed extra help in practicing his ice powers, Sub-Zero was always there to help. After all, Bi-Han was the only other Cryomancer at that time.

But none of that mattered now. Bi-Han no longer existed. Noob Saibot replaced him upon his rebirth in the Netherrealm, and any positive feelings Noob had for his brother died along with his mortal soul. He was undead, soulless wraith damned to the Netherrealm for all eternity. And even if Kuai Liang tried to save his soul, it would be for a lost cause. The past was called that for a reason. According to Quan Chi, Kuai Liang still dwelled on it. He needed to let go and move on.

Long forgotten memories of his childhood suddenly rushed to the forefront of Noob's mind once he turned a corner near the Grandmaster's sleeping chamber. He stopped, wishing he'd taken a detour, but Saibot silenced those thoughts to get his dominant half focused on the matter at hand. The wraith didn't come to the Lin Kuei temple for nothing, either. He came to get Zeleve, and he vowed to kill anyone who gets in his way. Serious business was in order. Noob Saibot was _not _leaving empty-handed...

* * *

Smoke raised an eyebrow in confusion as he looked down at Zeleve. His own cousin, in the flesh, sobbed on the ground. He didn't know how to react, since this was a real shock to him. What got him offguard was how he'd never remembered much of any possible relatives until he met Zeleve that evening. Even then, neither of them had ever suspected it. They weren't siblings, no, but despite both of them being undead, they still resembled each other closely in their human form. The only difference was their hair color; Smoke's was white, and Zeleve's was jet black.

As he watched her, Tomas wondered if Zeleve knew that her human form was only a facade to hide her true appearance. She'd only just discovered bits and pieces of the truth, but Smoke knew that she wasn't ready to know everything. Zeleve's mental state was already fragile, and Smoke didn't want her to suffer any longer. Until he felt that she was stable enough to learn exactly what she looks like, he would leave it alone. What mattered now was rekindling their bond as cousins. As awkward as it was for the two of them, they didn't say much at this point.

Eventually, Tomas grew tired of the uncomfortable silence and started thinking about everything. He wanted to talk to his cousin... reach out to her and pick up from where they'd left off many years before their deaths. For some odd reason, Tomas didn't _know_ how to start off a casual conversation with Zeleve, and it bothered him. Normally he wasn't socially inept like Kuai Liang had once been. Tomas always had a flawless talent for conversation; he loved interacting with others he knew.

He fought his urge to remain silent, crouching down beside his cousin. She was crying unstoppably, and Smoke felt bad. For the first time in his life, he felt the pain she felt. The emotions both Enenras currently felt were so many at once that it was hard to tell exactly what they were. One thing was certain, however – it was grief.

Tomas watched as Zeleve continued to cry before he reached out and placed a trembling hand under her chin. Gently guiding her face up to look at him, he saw all the pain, sorrow, and confusion in her silver gaze. Thinking that Smoke was going to strike her for her outburst, she shied away slightly. Her eyes eventually flickered upward to see identical, silver eyes full of concern gazing at her.

"It all makes sense..." Smoke quietly said. He brought his hand away from Zeleve's face and placed it on his lap. "I just saw everything you'd seen in the first flashback... And... that little girl… was you. I don't know how I remembered that, but you must have triggered that memory with your presence alone... much like I had triggered yours."

Zeleve sighed. "Yeah..." she silently said. The woman didn't know how to respond. She was still in a mild state of shock. That didn't stop her from crying, though. Tears continued to run freely down her cheeks until she wiped them away with her sleeve.

It took a while for Zeleve to put two and two together. Although Quan Chi tried to sever any possibilities of Zeleve reuniting with her long lost cousin, it proved to be impossible. She'd escaped his clutches, and finally found her cousin without even realizing it. Or trying, for that matter.

But Smoke didn't know that Zeleve had been running from Quan Chi because she never told him. She knew about the Lin Kuei, though. The sorcerer had mentioned something about the clan the very day she'd abandoned Shao Khan's palace... That was when she decided to speak to Tomas about what happened before he found her. She suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable around Smoke, but she figured it was shock. It would pass, and the only way it would was if she talked to him. She had to get to know her cousin – it would only be fair. And he probably knew about the pallid sorcerer, anyway. Zeleve decided to speak about Frost instead.

"I should have told you this earlier... but before you found me, I'd been on the run for several months until I was attacked by weird beings.

"Go on," he prodded. His countenance showed no emotion other than gloominess. Zeleve could see and feel it emanating from him.

Zeleve took a few deep breaths before continuing. "One was a woman, but with a horrid visage. A demonic face instead of the feminine human countenance I expected."

Smoke's eyebrows furrowed in curiosity. They obviously had mutual acquaintances, which suddenly made him more eager to speak. He knew exactly who Zeleve was describing. "That abomination was Mileena. She's easy to defeat. I'll have to tell you more about her another time. As for you being attacked, I honestly had figured that much when Frost came back and reported to Sub-Zero that there was another female Enenra around. No one ever wanders out there and survives. You're a lucky one."

Zeleve noticed that Smoke was a little more open upon mentioning the Tarkatan hybrid. To avoid further awkwardness between the two of them, she stayed on the topic. "I guess... Mileena ran off after I disappeared on her. And Frost? Just to make sure, she's the blue-clothed woman with spiky white hair, right? Big, crazy blue eyes?"

Smoke nodded, nervously playing with the drawstring on his sleeping pants. "That's her, alright. What did she try to do to you? I heard you defeated her."

Zeleve sighed and looked down as she rolled her eyes in disgust. "That bitch tried to kill me. I was simply minding my own business... walking in no particular direction. She came out of nowhere taunting me about these," she finished her sentence while pointing two fingers at her fangs.

Smoke wasn't surprised. He knew Frost always started trouble for no reason. But she was dead now, so none of that mattered anymore. To comfort his cousin, he decided to tell her that. "Frost is dead. Sub-Zero killed her, and I incinerated her to ashes. She's no more, like I told you the other day."

"Incinerated?" Zeleve muttered. Her voice rose nearly another octave in confusion. She knew that Smoke had similar powers to her own, albeit more trained and flawless. Even before the two Enenras realized that they were blood relatives, something told her that if Tomas could do amazing feats with his powers, then maybe he could teach her to hone her own. However, that could wait.

Smoke nodded, his fingers now absently dancing on his lap. "Yeah. Don't worry about her. What you should be more concerned with is getting this messy room back to its original state, and the Grandmaster. I know you haven't met him, but he's a cold one."

Zeleve suddenly felt ashamed for defacing the bedroom upon being reminded. She took in all of the damage her panic attack had caused. Suddenly, she felt scared. Not because of how badly she'd freaked out, but because of how Smoke described this Grandmaster person. He didn't sound like he was super friendly.

_You might as well beat me for this..._

The male Enenra said nothing as he silently stood and pulled Zeleve to her feet at the same time. Before he could reply to her, he walked a few feet away and sat down on the chair, which was now near the window. Shaking his head while burying his tired unmasked face in his hands, he mumbled something in Czech, hoping that Zeleve would understand.

"I don't understand what it is that you're saying. And I'm sorry for ruining this room. I just.. I.." Zeleve started to say, tears welling up in her eyes again.

_**Don't worry about it. I'm not going to beat you. I'm just as nervous as you are... I didn't think you were her – my cousin, I mean. I guess Fate likes to fuck with us after all...**_

"Perhaps you are right. I just sensed that there was someone here trying to kill me, I guess... Eh, I don't know... I think I'm crazy. But as strange as this sounds, at least we found each other again," Zeleve sighed, bending down to pick up the bedspread from the floor.

Smoke said no more, but watched as Zeleve cleaned up the mess she'd made. He knew she felt guilty, and he couldn't blame her; he'd felt the same upon his return to the mortal realm. He felt even more distressed since the woman he'd been around for not even two days was his _cousin. _Smoke had half a mind to help Zeleve clean up, to prove to her that he wasn't mad at her... to show his appreciation for having her back. But when he finally got up from his chair, made his way over to her and attempted to help her move the nightstand back to its original spot beside the bed...

"Don't. You're tired. I made this mess, therefore I'm the one who should fix this back to how it was," Zeleve said, placing a tiny hand on his forearm. Tomas winced, since Zeleve had placed her hand over the bite mark she'd given him during her panic attack. Zeleve then noticed the look in his eyes.

"I didn't think my teeth were that sharp," she said. Looking up at Smoke with pity lurking in her silver orbs, she smiled shyly. She still felt bad for having caused him all these problems, but she didn't want him to fix her mistakes. Zeleve didn't know how to act after discovering that she and Smoke were cousins, but in due time everything would be alright. So far, they seemed to be getting along fine in spite of their initial shock upon learning their blood relation to each other.

"I'm helping you anyway. Rest can wait, Zeleve," Smoke said with an eye roll, to which Zeleve shrugged. Both Enenras gave each other a small look of mutual understanding before they proceeded in cleaning up the untidy room. They talked as they worked, asking each other simple questions about each other, before falling into eventual silence. Except this time, it was companionable.

Little did both Enenras know, however, that there was an evil creature already inside the Lin Kuei temple waiting for the perfect moment to make itself known...

* * *

**A/N**: ;D This is all you guys get for now. Hope I'm not moving _too _fast. The story needed some action, anyway.


	10. Intrusion

Kuai Liang sat at his desk, looking through an old journal he used to keep during his younger days. Many of his deepest secrets - most of which Tomas or even his older brother did not know - were scribbled onto the fine pages. Most of his innermost thoughts were misunderstood by many, which is why he preferred to write them instead of voicing them aloud.

The Cryomancer had been in an emotional rut these past few days, and he didn't want to talk to anyone about it. He feared that if he confronted the issue with the male vapor demon, he'd lose a lifelong friend. Furthermore, he suspected a romance going on between his best friend and Zeleve. The way both Enenras acted around each other... It wasn't normal.

Not by Sub-Zero's standards, anyway. However, time would only tell. He still hadn't conferred with the thunder god regarding the mysterious woman. Kuai Liang needed to ensure that Zeleve wasn't a danger to his clan, but all these swirling emotions he felt were overwhelming.

"I need to relax," he said quietly, burying his face in his hands. "It's highly unlike me to act and think irrationally."

Sub-Zero wondered if it had something to do with Zeleve's presence after all. But what he _didn't _know was that she had played an important role in the fate of his best friend.

Again, time would only tell.

Right when the Grandmaster was about to read the first few entries from his long-completed hardcover journal, he heard a distant grunt. A hollow thud was soon followed by an unearthly chuckle. It was unexpected, really. No one (with the exception of the sentries) was usually awake during nighttime hours. A primal urge to investigate prompted Kuai Liang to tense up.

_Something's wrong_, he thought, slamming the journal shut and rising to his feet. He quickly strode over to his nightstand and grabbed several kunai from the top drawers. Silently making brisk steps toward his door, he made sure to twist the intricate bronze doorknob without making any noise.

_Whoever is snooping around my temple will surely have their very last fight_, Sub-Zero promised himself as he stepped outside his chamber.

* * *

Zeleve was sleeping much more peacefully while Tomas kept a close eye on her. They had since tidied up the quaint chamber, while having short conversations in the midst of their bonding. Smoke had opened up _a lot_ more to his estranged cousin since, and she had done the same. For a woman who'd grown up alone throughout her afterlife, she sure seemed ever friendly and charismatic with Tomas. It was uncommon for two long-separated relatives to become attached so quickly to one another, but with these two vapor demons... It was bound to happen. After all, their souls _were _intertwined forever, even if they didn't know it.

A part of the male Enenra enjoyed having a female relative around, but he also worried about her safety. Zeleve was resilient, having had several battles throughout her afterlife. Her powers may not have been as strong and honed as Tomas', but she was a force to be reckoned with.

Smoke smiled at the thought of Zeleve beating an enemy senseless. She was agile enough, and she didn't seem malnourished. Her incredible speed was also something to be admired. Smoke had never seen Zeleve fight, but in due time, he'd get to see for himself _just _how powerful she was.

Tomas did not know if it was Fate that led Zeleve to the Lin Kuei temple, but he was wondering how in the Elder Gods names this had all happened. Several weeks ago, Smoke didn't _know_ he had a lost cousin. He knew most of his past, but evidently not all of it. So, to know that the woman he'd occasionally have nightmares about during his childhood was actually a real person... It was _indeed _something.

Zeleve's chest rose and fell with every sleeping breath she took, and Smoke appreciated the fact that no panic attacks interrupted her peaceful state. Soon enough, once he felt that he could get some rest, Tomas' eyes started to flutter. He fell asleep within moments; he and his cousin completely unaware of Bi-Han's form creeping around the corner just outside Zeleve's chamber.

* * *

Sub-Zero stealthily stalked throughout the empty halls of his threshold. His blue eyes widened in shock as he noticed the decapitated corpses of several sentries scattered around the floor. Their severed necks gushed with blood, with dark purple energy wafting from the bodies. The only beings possessing such powers were evil, and clearly they had a good reason to infiltrate the Lin Kuei stronghold.

The stunned Cryomancer also noted that most of the mutilated bodies had several shuriken sticking out from their eye sockets and other body parts. As he crouched beside one of the dead guards, Kuai Liang studied one of the star-shaped blades. An unusual insignia was carved into the center of it: a tribal design he recognized. It belonged to the Brotherhood of Shadow.

It hit Sub-Zero just then; he knew that there was only one person who'd been highly skilled in the use of such deadly projectiles. He'd grown up with this deadly opponent.

It was Bi-Han.

Panic set in immediately, but Sub-Zero kept it under control. He knew that if his undead brother was around, then it was for a reason. Noob Saibot was a very dangerous wraith, and despite not having encountered him in many years, Kuai Liang was _still _not ready to confront him.

But to protect the lives of his clan - a clan he'd worked _very _hard to reform - a dangerous decision had to be made. Sub-Zero thought about reasoning with his corrupted brother. But as he made his way toward Smoke's chamber, he realized that it would serve no purpose; Bi-Han was far from redemption now. As much as the Cryomancer denied it, he knew that it was true.

He allowed his inner grief and resentment for his brother manifest itself into his veins. Ice soon started wafting from his palms in a frenzy the more he thought of his anguish. All of the depression he lived with ever since Bi-Han's death, all of the loneliness he felt that not even his best friend could quell... He wanted to get rid of the source that caused his heart to encase itself in ice.

The thoughts soon stopped once Kuai Liang channeled his emotions and inner energy into one. As a result, a sharp, deadly Kori blade sprung into his palms. The blue-garbed Grandmaster clutched the hilt with his strong hand, ready to confront his spiritually unstable sibling.

He was going to end his brother, for once and for all.


	11. Lurker: Interrupted

Noob Saibot had shrouded himself within the shadows before stepping into Zeleve's chamber. Upon entry, he saw his former ally dozed off in a chair. Milky eyes shifting toward the bed, the wraith saw a slender woman wrapped under a thick comforter. He had never seen the woman before, but he presumed her to be the one Quan Chi had hired him to capture. Nonetheless, what bothered him the most was not the fact that Zeleve was not alone, but seeing the Lin Kuei second-in-command in the room.

The two Enenras couldn't see him. Noob doubted that Zeleve was strong enough; she looked incredibly weak to him. Then again, the demon thought everyone to be lesser than him - even his own master. And a woman? Women were just worthless to Noob, and part of him wondered why on earth Quan Chi wanted the female vapor demon. Not only that, but he also did not know the extent of the sorcerer's plan with her. However, he didn't care much for Quan Chi's reasons. He needed to hurry, capture the woman, and get out of the Lin Kuei temple before Smoke woke up.

In a vain attempt to ensure that Smoke did not wake, Noob summoned his darker half. A dark, otherworldly figure seeped out from his body, and looked at its owner with interest. Noob sent his shadow a telepathic message to approach the sleeping woman without being caught. Saibot grinned deviously beneath his mask and obeyed his dominant half. Noob watched as his clone tiptoed to where the female lay. The black shadow was just about to clamp his hand over Zeleve's throat but was interrupted when a grunt was heard. Unfortunately, that was also when Tomas' eyes snapped open.

_FUCK_, the wraith inwardly swore, quickly summoning Saibot back to him. He maintained his composure as he absorbed Saibot's essence, realizing that this was a close call. Although he had not seen Tomas in many years, he'd forgotten that the male Enenra was a very light sleeper. Well, he figured that anyone in the reformed Lin Kuei had to be alert and ready to strike at any given moment.

Tomas was still a tad drowsy, so his otherwise acute senses were off. He looked around to see if there was anyone in the room, and then he looked at his cousin. He stood and walked to her, brushing a few stray tendrils away from her doll-like face. She looked peaceful to him. Smoke had no idea that his Grandmaster's brother was lurking, either.

Noob Saibot was hiding behind one of the doors observing his brother's best friend. He noticed how delicately the Enenra touched the woman's face. For some strange reason, it disgusted him. Part of him thought that there was something odd about this relationship Smoke had with the woman. The other part of him just wanted to leave the room. Regardless of how he felt and what he wanted, he knew that he had to carry out his task. As such, he remained behind the closet door, waiting to launch his attack.

Smoke was still unaware of the wraith's presence, but he felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. He felt a bit uneasy for a moment, but then he decided that it was merely his usually scalding body temperature that had probably dropped. He stood over Zeleve, quietly watching her breathe in and out as she slept soundly.

_She's still asleep_, Smoke thought. He went to sit back down on the chair, closing his eyes with a very tired yawn.

Unknown to Smoke, however, Noob Saibot was preparing to strike him from behind when the door to the chamber was suddenly kicked open. Smoke flinched hard, and Zeleve quickly sat up with a startled expression in her eyes. They turned to face Kuai Liang, who bore a very weary glare. They noticed he had a fresh kori sword in hand.

"What is going on!?" Smoke cried, panting as he tried to calm himself. He did not expect Sub-Zero to appear at random. For all it was worth, he still thought his best friend was mad at him. Even Zeleve looked equally as shocked as her cousin did, but she did not say a word.

"Bi-Han is here," the Cryomancer said flatly. He surveyed the room, looking around to see if the wraith was lurking or hiding. Smoke rolled his eyes, immediately thinking that his best friend had finally lost it.

"Why would he be here, anyway? Your brother has not bothered us in many years," Tomas muttered. He was oblivious, and it was bothering Sub-Zero. For crying out loud, he'd SEEN the shuriken lodged in the bodies of his guards!

"Tomas, obviously it's escaped your attention," the Cryomancer growled, fixing his glare toward the closet door. "But I _just_ saw several dead bodies with shuriken sticking out from various areas. Our guards, Smoke. Bi-Han is in the temple!"

As if on cue, the wraith revealed himself by stepping out from behind said door. Smoke's and Zeleve's silver eyes widened in surprise as Sub-Zero dropped into his offensive stance. Tomas quickly stood and dropped into his own defensive stance, while telepathically telling Zeleve to render herself invisible. The female Enenra did not know what was happening, but she'd be damned if she'd let any bloodshed occur this late in the evening. She quickly obeyed, and immediately her bed appeared empty. Noob Saibot did not notice, as he had been thoroughly distracted from his original task. He shifted his attention to the Cryomancer.

"Hello, Brother," Noob greeted with a sinister chuckle. He slowly circled around Kuai Liang, who was giving him an icy death stare. If looks alone could kill, Bi-Han would be dead again. His pallid eyes looked the ice-wielder up and down in amusement, his lips letting out a demonic laugh.

"What are you doing here, Bi-Han? Have you not had enough of being on the dark side?" asked the Cryomancer. His blue eyes narrowed just as the wraith prepared to release his clone.

Smoke watched with fury building inside him. Why was Bi-Han here? He sent out another telepathic message to Zeleve, whom was still invisible. When she replied to him and let him know that she was hanging from the light fixture on the ceiling, he looked down at the brothers. Tomas could tell that an intense brotherly feud was about to occur.

And that was when thunder and lightning illuminated the room...

* * *

**A/N:** Well, perfect timing. I know you guys want the fight to go on between these rival siblings already. Just wait. ;)

I'll get to the revision points when I have time. I plan to rewrite this entire story after I get it done. So if I don't get the revisions or edits added/omitted right away, please don't get mad at me.


	12. Resentment, Renewal, and Reconciliation

Noob Saibot and the two Lin Kuei warriors were just getting ready to duke it out when a familiar thundering sound resonated and shook the walls of Zeleve's chamber. Once the blinding lightning subsided and revealed the thunder god, Raiden, Noob Saibot took that as an opportunity to make a run for it.

Smoke, however, noticed that the former Cryomancer was trying to sneak away. To make sure Bi-Han did not get his chance, the male Enenra hurled one of his namesake projectiles in the wraith's direction. The grenade reached its intended target and swiftly sent the demon high into the air momentarily. After a few seconds, Noob fell crashing down. He hit the ground in a heavy thud before doing a quick kip-up in an futile attempt to fight Smoke off.

There was no way out of this now. Noob knew he was going to get a serious punishment from Quan Chi if he returned to the Netherrealm empty handed. He was too focused on his target (whom was still invisible) to bother cleaning his tracks. It was no wonder Sub-Zero knew of his presence, now that Noob realized it.

Sub-Zero, on the other hand, was too angry to bother stopping the fight that soon broke out between Smoke and Noob Saibot. Not only would it have been pointless for him to intervene, but Kuai Liang knew that his undead older brother and Smoke had advantages over each other in battle.

They always did, even when Noob was still alive. Well, Smoke was more superior in battle, really... He was too evasive to be caught in an ice attack. His powers as an Enenra were valuable assets to say the least.

While Bi-Han was able to form ice weapons and freeze anything around him with ease, Smoke always had the abilities to evade such attacks. Any other person would have been trapped in an icy shield, and the fact that Smoke had that sheer luck frustrated the shadow demon.

The Enenra wasn't called "Smoke" for nothing, either. The element of vapor wasn't something that was very easy to freeze. And even with the powers of the Netherrealm in his very being, Noob was still less powerful than Smoke.

Not to mention that there were others in the same room...

Even Raiden, whom alongside Sub-Zero, was watching the pointless fight take place between the two formidable assassins, knew this. Noob had no chance, due to his anger blocking any type of coherent thought.

A series of punches, kicks, special powers and throws were exchanged between the two enemies. However, it also looked like both beings were relying too much on their supernatural abilities in this match. Even Sub-Zero picked up on this fact, but he was too mentally exhausted to bother. Raiden would surely handle this.

Once the chaos got real, that is. Everyone knew that Raiden was pretty patient with his plot to keep enemies out of Earthrealm. To the thunder god, that was a true virtue.

_Some Grandmaster I am_, Sub-Zero thought bitterly. Kuai Liang felt pathetic for not wanting to intervene. All he would be doing is feeding fuel to the fire. The Cryomancer couldn't take any more pain, and although he typically denied this, a deep part of him knew he was only wasting his time. On a person unable to be saved, no less.

"You fucking jackass! You only come here to wreak havoc, knowing that you are the very reason your brother is miserable!" Smoke shouted to Noob, jarring Sub-Zero out of his sullen reverie.

"Why should I care about that pathetic excuse for a Grandmaster? He is not even trying to help you," Noob laughed. Sure enough, Sub-Zero's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Kuai Liang wanted to insult his older brother now, and as such he decided to do just that. Rolling his eyes, he calmly said, "As much as I agree with you, brother... Tomas is right. You have caused me a lot of hell. Why don't you just go to your impure _excuse of a home_ and never come back?"

Smoke grunted his approval as Raiden shook his head in dismay. The deity then spoke in a very calm tone of voice, which was odd considering the chaos around him. "Bi-Han, you are wasting time here. These very honorable warriors need rest, yet you are here preying upon the innocent."

"I am undead," Noob said matter-of-factly. "Nothing else to do where I live, so I figured I would come see the young lady as Quan Chi sent me. You know, pay her a little visit and show her the reality of what she is. She's a beast in disguise, just like this silver-haired bitch here."

The fury was evident in Smoke's silver orbs upon hearing that insult leveled at himself and Zeleve. He sent a telepathic message to his cousin to make sure she hadn't been captured by the wraith's double, and was inwardly relieved when she replied saying that she was still observing the fight. Still, Smoke was too close to phasing through the demon and scorching him to death. He returned Noob's sudden, unexpected teleport punch with a heavily concentrated smoke bomb of his own.

Noob hit the ground after levitating for a few minutes, before disappearing in a black hole. When he reappeared behind Smoke, the violent gesture was returned with a hard punch to the Enenra's back.

The Enenra was already pissed off beyond this point, and bit down on Noob's arm, which was wrenched around his neck. The wraith chuckled in mirth, as the twisted side of him enjoyed the pain.

"So, Tomas," Noob started. "Does your dear cousin bite as hard as you? If that's the case, I'm certain she'd be perfect as my... _Concubine_."

Sub-Zero cringed in disgust at the innuendo Noob had just uttered. How could he possibly disrespect a woman like that? The audacity shocked the hell out of him, but he said nothing.

From her spot on the ceiling fixture, Zeleve watched as Noob summoned his darker half. She was afraid for her cousin's well-being, but a part of her knew that a three on one - or two, if you included Saibot - match was barely a fair fight. However, she remained invisible, steadily perched upon the very edge of the light fixture. She also didn't bother in allowing Noob's sexually inappropriate remark affect her. Her cousin's safety was of more concern.

The fight then continued between the vapor demon and the wraith, but it wasn't even worth being referred to as such due to the fact that Smoke seemed to be winning. Suddenly, an oily clone rushed toward the thunder god with a tackle, but was easily frozen in place by a thick beam of ice.

Of course, it was virtually impossible to even freeze Saibot, so when Noob felt a part of his own self freeze, it stunned the fuck out of everyone in the room.

"What in the hell did you just do?" he snarled, glaring at the Cryomancer, whom was equally stunned.

The very last time they had fought, which was a good seven years prior, Kuai Liang had never been able to successfully encase the shadow clone in ice. So what exactly had happened that allowed that ice trick to work now?

Raiden shot a lightning bolt toward Noob which easily knocked the black figure down. He then spoke in a booming baritone as he narrowed his eyes at the now infuriated wraith. "Don't worry about what happened. You are a threat to this clan, and to Earthrealm. Return to your master before I end you myself, Bi-Han."

Sub-Zero would have laughed if he hadn't been so confused and angry, but he suddenly felt a strange surge of pity for his older brother. He wanted to save the damned creature, but this was when he realized again that there was no point. He turned to face his best friend, whom was growling in sheer fury.

"When this is done, Smoke, I need to talk to you," he quietly told the Enenra, whom only nodded in silence.

Sub-Zero knew he had to do something - _anything -_ to keep his bonds with Smoke intact. With Bi-Han permanently damned to hell for all eternity, Smoke was all the gloomy Cryomancer had left. He couldn't stand to lose his best friend... His brethren...

"If you insist, thunder god," Noob growled. He then stood slowly before disappearing in another black hole. The stunned Earthrealmers and their chosen protector remained tense and ready to attack in case Noob was being sneaky. But after moments passed with no sign of the demon, Raiden presumed that the dishonorable wraith had indeed returned to the Netherrealm.

Raiden shook his head in annoyance, before looking at the Cryomancer with a soft expression. "My apologies, Sub-Zero. I assume the woman Noob was sent to capture is here. Where is she?"

Smoke sighed when his Grandmaster shot him a wayward glance. "Zeleve, you're safe to let your presence be known now."

She suddenly reappeared on the ceiling, before gracefully flipping onto the wooden floor beside her cousin. The looks of confusion on the Cryomancer - and Raiden's - faces told her that more truths would be spoken...


	13. The Truth Hurts

**A/N: **I re-read this entire fic, and I'm realizing that I don't actually like how this story has turned out. I can tell that something is missing, which – to me – is _not_ good. Furthermore, I've decided to switch things up a bit. Some of you may have also noticed the updated summary, as well as the fact that Noob Saibot's slot has been replaced with Sub-Zero.

My reason for that is because Sub-Zero is already a recurring character (just like Smoke), therefore it would make sense if I make Noob a lesser character. For this fan-fic, Noob does have an important role, but he will mostly make random cameos from this point on. I plan to continue this story with a sequel, so Noob's plight to destroy Zeleve will be in full swing by then.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy this. :D

* * *

Zeleve stared at the thunder god and his Earthrealm warriors, wondering what on earth had just happened. For a brief moment, the three men simply returned the gesture, further making this already tense moment more awkward than necessary.

It was pretty much a staring match, and it was not long until Sub-Zero grew tired of the tension. As such, he cleared his throat and gave Raiden a pointed look. That was all that was needed to be done in order for the deity to speak and break the ice.

"She's a very valuable asset, and even a weapon if the wrong people were to get a hold of her. I believe the Elder Gods led her here. However, she is being hunted. Mileena was sent by Quan Chi himself to kill her, evidently, but failed. That is my guess as to why Bi-Han came here," Raiden said solemnly.

Zeleve visibly shuddered, not wanting to be reminded about the events that had transpired just prior to her discovery. However, she said nothing. She knew that her true identity would be revealed within the next twenty minutes. Although she had much to learn about her precise origins, she was also unsure as to whether or not she _truly wanted_ to know. She was already emotionally conflicted, and what was even worse was that she still guilty for all these incidents that had just occurred.

Smoke was quick to notice Zeleve's discomfort. He knew he wasn't exactly close to her, especially since they had _just _reunited. But he couldn't stop himself from wrapping an arm around her in a gesture of comfort. Smoke also noticed how his best friend was looking at him, and it somewhat bothered him. It was almost like Kuai Liang was thinking, "Why are you even touching her like that?"

Tomas did not know, but Sub-Zero and Cyrax already thought something was going on between the two Enenras. Regardless, Tomas rolled his eyes at Sub-Zero before looking at Raiden. He then said, "She's quiet because she doesn't feel comfortable discussing this."

Raiden interjected before Sub-Zero could even begin to ask questions. "She needs to know the truth. She's exactly like you."

Kuai Liang remained silent, mainly because he was still on edge over Noob's mysterious appearance. He wanted Raiden to hurry up with this so that he could pull Smoke into the hallway and speak his peace. But when he heard Raiden say that the woman in question was just like him, he couldn't help but scoff.

"Wait a minute. You said this woman is just like Smoke. How is that possible, besides the fact that they wield similar powers? Elaborate, Raiden," Sub-Zero demanded. His usually strong, yet cool, voice was very icy lately.

Raiden pinched the area above his nose, an uncharacteristic gesture for a god. He spoke calmly, despite his now growing frustration for the Cryomancer's impatience. "You seem to already know that Zeleve and Smoke are both Enenras. What you _do not_ know, Sub-Zero, is that they are also relatives. Smoke was sacrificed at least five years before her."

Sub-Zero nodded in understanding before glancing at Zeleve. "So, Zeleve. I assume you are Smoke's sibling." It sounded like a statement instead of a question.

Zeleve had been staring at her bare feet the entire time, but hearing the Cryomancer state her name startled her. Smoke noticed this and shot Sub-Zero an annoyed glance but kept his mouth shut.

The woman finally regained her composure and sighed. "No, I'm his cousin."

Sub-Zero's eyes widened momentarily before he said to Smoke, "We need to talk. Now."

Smoke inwardly groaned as he telepathically told Zeleve he'd return in a moment. Zeleve shook her head dismally as she watched the male Enenra leave the room with Sub-Zero. Once the door closed behind the Cryomancer, she noticed Raiden staring at her almost sympathetically.

"Sub-Zero will eventually warm up to you. It is simply how Cryomancers are when first meeting a stranger."

Zeleve furrowed a dark brow. "It doesn't seem like it. From what Tomas told me, this Sub-Zero person doesn't sound very... nice."

Raiden walked toward the window, looking out into the frozen lands. "Your cousin is very close to Sub-Zero. When two people form such powerful bonds, they tend to make fun of one another when an outsider is involved. Sub-Zero might seem standoffish now, but soon enough he will lower his guard. It will take him a while, however..."

Zeleve noticed the solemn tone in Raiden's last sentence. She didn't want to pry any further, as she already could tell that Sub-Zero was a troubled man. Then again, she couldn't help but ask Raiden, "What happened to make him so cold...?"

"The last woman to live in this temple tried to kill him. You encountered her on your way here. A very ambitious female Cryomancer named Frost. She was Sub-Zero's protege."

Zeleve now realized why Sub-Zero was weary about her. He was paranoid that she would try to harm him or anyone in the Lin Kuei palace. Despite being a demoness, Zeleve knew that Sub-Zero was too paranoid. She was here for shelter, although she wasn't sure for how long. But then...

"So he doesn't trust me because of that crazy woman. He thinks I'm going to come after him as well. That's what it is?" Zeleve said, obviously upset about being pegged wrong by someone she doesn't even know.

Raiden sensed the despair in the woman's voice. He turned around and walked toward her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he told her, "Yes, and it is very unfortunate that he is very weary. But I trust that you can prove him wrong. Don't tell him I said this, but Sub-Zero really needs to move on from the past."

"No kidding. I just don't get it," Zeleve muttered, turning away from the deity. "He doesn't trust me, but he allows me to stay here? And then he avoids Tomas like he's the plague? Where is the logic!?"

Raiden did not know what to say, although he silently agreed with Zeleve's statement. "Indeed."

* * *

"So why have you been avoiding me all this time? You've been acting like a semantic jackass for nearly a week, Kuai Liang."

"Because I'm testing her through you!"

Smoke and Sub-Zero were down the hall, discussing the sudden news Raiden came to deliver. The Cryomancer was trying to tell his second-in-command that he wasn't angry at _him, _ but just being careful. However, Smoke wasn't buying it.

"Testing her through _me_? She's already going through enough as it is, Sub-Zero. You putting me in the same damn category is making it worse for her. To _think_ that you even had common sense..." Smoke scoffed.

Sub-Zero rolled his eyes, rubbing his neck in irritation. Smoke just didn't get it. "Tomas, stop it! You're not even listening to me."

"I've been trying to understand your logic for Elder Gods know how long!" the Enenra shouted. "I get it, okay? You're not over Frost's betrayal, therefore you think Zeleve is going to turn out the same. It's understandable. But you _really_ need to let the past go."

The Cryomancer groaned. "Damn it, Smoke. Fine. You have a point. It's just that I'm confused about her. She's powerful and I can see she has potential."

"Like you would know that, Kuai Liang. You haven't even _seen_ her fight to even be saying that."

Sub-Zero cringed. His intelligence had just been insulted. "Really? You haven't seen her fight, either."

Tomas growled as Sub-Zero stalked towards him, saying, "That's what I thought. Neither of us have seen her fight. Therefore we're both even. _However_, that's besides the point. What I'm trying to say here is that she has a warrior's spirit that I am trying to test."

Smoke laughed bitterly. Had Sub-Zero just said that? "A warrior's spirit? You're joking, right? That's fucking lovely. Please, Grandmaster. Tell me how she has a warrior's spirit."

"My Gods, Smoke. Will you _shut_ _the_ **_hell_** _up_ and let me **_speak_**_!?_" Sub-Zero shouted. He was tired of the hysterical Enenra cutting him off every time he tried to elaborate his point. Luckily, Smoke finally shut his mouth.

"Thank you. What I was saying is that she isn't bad, nor good either. But you and Cyrax found her several miles from here, right?"

Smoke ignored the first sentence and nodded. "We did. She was nearly done for when we found her."

"My point. I'm a Cryomancer, Tomas. That means that I can handle cold weather. Not you and Zeleve, though. Being out there in such a climate for over two days would surely kill someone lacking any control over the cold. If you haven't noticed already, she survived that."

Smoke raised an inquisitive eyebrow. For once in this argument, Sub-Zero had a point. "True. You would probably be unaffected if you were to go out there stark naked. My dick would fall off if I tried that one..."

"Goddamn it, Tomas! I'm not even joking right now," Sub-Zero said, smacking a palm to his forehead. He wasn't in the mood for jests. This was a serious conversation that needed to be had, and Smoke's hysteria and jokes were _not_ making this easy.

Smoke ignored the Cryomancer's cry of annoyance, as he laughed for a moment. That is, until he saw Sub-Zero give him the death glare. "Alright, alright. Go on."

"You're an idiot," Sub-Zero said. He shook his head before he continued. "Like I was saying, Smoke. I don't exactly trust your... cousin. But I'm willing to give her a chance. I can tell you two are beginning to bond and I'd hate to take that from you. I'm just being careful."

"Evidently you do mean well, Kuai Liang. I just hate how you've let Bi-Han and Frost affect you this way. It has changed you for the worst. You've become a staunch bitter cynic and it bothers me. It's like..." Smoke took a deep breath. "It's like one thing goes wrong and the world is over for you. That shit is annoying."

Sub-Zero rubbed his temples as he felt a migraine coming. He knew that Smoke was right. However, he didn't even bother protest. He was done arguing for the night.

Tomas looked at him calmly. "Look. I know this is troubling you, my friend. And I'm sorry for misunderstanding you, but I would really appreciate it if you could at least try to let the past go. That's all I'm asking of you."

Sub-Zero's lips formed a thin line in stunned silence. He'd just gotten a reality check, from his best friend no less. "I suppose. Apology accepted."

Smoke smirked and started to make his way back towards Zeleve's room before he heard Sub-Zero call after him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to see his best friend looking dead at him.

"I'm sorry about all of this. And, uh..." Sub-Zero was having trouble swallowing his pride, but he got it out anyway.

"Thanks... for everything. I ...appreciate it, my friend."

Smoke knew that thanking people never came easy for his ice-wielding best friend, but he was relieved to hear the words come from his mouth. He didn't acknowledge Sub-Zero's gratitude, but nodded before turning back around and walking away.

For now, though... He needed to let Zeleve know that Sub-Zero's intentions aren't malignant. He could already tell she was angry the moment he was outside her chamber...


	14. The Awakening

Smoke was relieved to have finally spoken his peace to Sub-Zero, especially due to the fact that the discussion they had shared was long overdue. The Enenra did not like the fact that Kuai Liang had tried to test his cousin through him, but at the end of the day, he understood that the Cryomancer had more than enough problems burdening his conscience. And although Smoke could tell that the tension was still there, it was also obvious that, now, it wasn't as bad as it had first been.

The hallway Tomas had been in for the last half-hour was now silent, with the exception of echoed shouts from inside one of the guest chambers. Sub-Zero had long since been gone, most likely brooding while cleaning up the corpses of his fallen Lin Kuei. Tomas knew that his friend was probably more disheartened at the fact that it had been Bi-Han who'd murdered these honorable warriors in cold blood; however, that was another story for another time, as Smoke's thoughts were now distracted by the sound of Zeleve's angry shouting.

Smoke knew that she was currently ranting to Raiden about everything that had just occurred, and he found himself feeling pity for her. The white-haired man knew that Sub-Zero was not trying to inflict harm unto Zeleve whatsoever. Of course, Tomas thought that Sub-Zero's way of ensuring that the female vapor demon could be trusted could have been done differently, but what was done was done. The only thing that the Enenra could do now was ensure his female counterpart that everything would be fine, even if that wasn't the actual truth.

That was another reason as to why Smoke felt remorse in the midst of all the chaos. Zeleve _still_ had much to learn about what she _really_ was and the meaning of her presence in Earthrealm. It was obvious that she was now in grave danger – though it was not for certain back then – until Raiden's announcement had confirmed the fact that Zeleve's placement within the Lin Kuei stronghold meant that Kuai Liang and Tomas themselves were also at risk.

Smoke was not very worried about his or Sub-Zero's safety, because this was not the first time that their home had been infiltrated. Earthrealm itself had been invaded countless times in the past by the Outworld and Netherrealm denizens, so war was nothing new to Smoke and his fellow comrades. Even if the tides of warfare got stronger, Earthrealm and the newly reformed Lin Kuei had Edenia's support.

The Lin Kuei had allied themselves with Edenia after Sub-Zero had taken his position as the clan's Grandmaster several years prior. At first, Princess Kitana was reluctant to aid them, due to the clan's notorious corruption back when they still served under Shao Kahn's rule. Eventually the fan-wielder started to get to know Kuai Liang as a friend, in an attempt to see if he was truly honorable, developing a somewhat romantic bond after several months. Unfortunately, it had ended before things could get _too_ serious, as Kitana still felt for Liu Kang. Sub-Zero himself had started feeling pretty uncomfortable about his growing relationship with the princess, so moving on wasn't very hard for him. The only thing that mattered to them now was that they still supported one another as allies and friends, and would have each others' backs no matter what.

Despite knowing that foreign aid would be available in such extreme cases, Smoke couldn't help thinking about how Zeleve would react during a war. He thought about the conversation he had had with Sub-Zero not much earlier. Smoke remembered that Kuai Liang had mentioned the potential he sensed in the mysterious woman, although neither man had actually witnessed Zeleve's fighting skills. It couldn't be said yet what form of martial arts she would be best in, but being an Enenra as well, Zeleve _indeed_ had potential. Smoke just didn't know it yet, and he was in for a major surprise.

Now, Tomas was still standing outside Zeleve's guest chamber, listening to what she was telling Raiden. The shouts had long since quieted down, thankfully, and she seemed more calm. From what Smoke could hear them saying, it appeared that Zeleve already knew bits and pieces in regards to her origins. Even still, Smoke knew that she didn't know _everything, _and _that_ was bugging him. He knew that Zeleve was still a broken mess beneath her mask of calmness, especially after seeing it himself. That having been said, it was painfully obvious that her weak frame of mind could not handle any more trauma.

_I'll take it slowly,_ Smoke thought as he knocked on the door. He figured that since Zeleve was now at ease, it would be safe for him to go inside and speak to the thunder god. There were a lot of questions that Smoke really hoped Raiden would answer, even if it meant that they would be vague.

Opening the door after receiving the welcoming signal, Tomas stepped in to see Raiden and Zeleve staring out of the window and into the frozen darkness. It was almost five in the morning, and the sun would not rise until at least eight-thirty, so Smoke knew that he'd be able to get some rest soon.

"Everything alright?" Smoke asked, glancing between Zeleve and Raiden. They both looked tired, although Raiden did not really have much of a for sleep, being a god and all. Smoke knew that his cousin was beyond exhausted, however, because Enenras in general required a lot of rest in order to function properly.

Raiden nodded in Tomas' direction. "She is fine, but conflicted within – much like you were at first."

"No kidding."

Raiden was referring to the very moment that Smoke had regained most of his long-lost memories. Even though Tomas now knew who he was and where he was from, he still felt incomplete. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was that made him feel inadequate, though. It was as though something – no, _someone_ – was missing, and _that_ was when realization hit him...

_Zeleve_ was that missing piece of the puzzle Smoke had been trying to put together even after having regained his memories. Her presence alone was what had triggered him to remember her as the little girl who, so many years ago, had seen the cultists kidnap him before her eyes. It was safe to say that they triggered each others' minds and were now reunited for the time being.

Raiden walked over to Smoke, sensing that reality was hitting him in the face like a hard slap. The deity could sense that everything was becoming clearer to the Enenra, and it pleased him, although it pained him to know that Zeleve was still suffering. Then again, Raiden knew that it was a woman thing, and since Zeleve was an Enenra as well, it meant that she was more emotional than she would be if she weren't undead.

"Smoke, I trust that your cousin will be fine. However, I humbly suggest that you start training her soon, because you never know when disaster might strike," the god said silently.

Smoke sighed as he stole a glance at the woman in question, whom was still looking out the window in stern silence. "I will make sure of that. I just worry for Sub-Zero, though..."

He wasn't lying, and Raiden knew this. Kuai Liang was already struggling in keeping his emotions in check during Noob Saibot's presence, showing signs of impatience and anxiety as opposed to the calmness he normally portrayed in tense situations. It just _wasn't_ like him...

"As do I. He has lost a lot, and it is very tragic to see the good lose what's dear to them. There is a bright side to that, although Sub-Zero himself may not know it yet," Raiden replied.

Smoke knew that Raiden was hinting at something. "Indeed. Kuai Liang is a very good man, and knowing that he suffers immensely while simultaneously denying it is what hurts _me_."

"It is perfectly understandable, especially since he is your closest friend. Like I said before, good things await him in the near future. I am hoping that you will ensure that he works hard toward his life purpose."

Smoke arched a brow. "Pardon me, but I am not so sure as to what you're trying to say."

"Your friend's purpose in this life is to let go of the past and move on. He may be struggling now, but with you and Zeleve by his side, I am more than certain that he will succeed in this lifelong task," Raiden explained.

The Enenra smiled despite himself. He wanted to help his friend move past his emotional turmoil, because Kuai Liang indeed deserved better.

Looking at the thunder god with determination, Smoke said, "It will be done. Whatever this reward is, I know that my friend is worthy of it. What of my cousin, however?"

"She'll be fine in due time. She is a female Enenra, so don't be surprised if you find her to be a bit on the overemotional side. There is a flip side to her emotions, which is something you must understand," Raiden said. His voice took a serious tone at the last sentence, and Smoke knew that this was important.

"You have my undivided attention."

Raiden nodded and continued. "Like Frost, Zeleve's powers are controlled by emotion. Obviously their powers are much different, but too much emotion can cause catastrophic results."

Smoke wasn't sure if Sub-Zero needed to know this, being that the man was already paranoid enough. Sure, the Cryomancer wasn't _all_ the way over the loose end, but Smoke did not want to burden him any further.

"Understood. I suppose it would not be wise of me to let Sub-Zero know of this," he assumed, tilting his head as emphasis.

Smoke took another look at his cousin, whom was now in her bed. She wasn't sleeping yet, that much was obvious, but it was clear that she was tired. Raiden also took note of this and made his final statement, telling Tomas to not inform Sub-Zero about the possibility of Zeleve's emotions causing damage if uncontrolled.

"Understood. Thank you, Lord Raiden," Smoke said humbly with a warm smile. Raiden gave a curt nod of the head, blessing the Enenra, his friends and family before teleporting back to his Sky Temple.

After the deity's departure, Smoke saw that Zeleve had finally fallen into a deep sleep. He figured that she had worn herself out after ranting to Raiden about her troubles, and after all she had to deal with lately, she deserved all of the sleep that she could get. Smoke didn't need her all imbalanced due to poor sleep patterns, and he knew that better than anyone. He himself was quite the snarky one when he didn't get enough sleep, so he didn't bother in waking his cousin.

_Sleep well, Zeleve,_ Tomas thought as he gazed at her sleeping form one final time before turning to leave the room. He was tired after all of this shenanegans, and all he wanted now was to sleep in his own bed for the rest of the day (not that it was possible, of course)...

* * *

**A/N:** So much for a filler. ._.


	15. Sinister Subconscious

Back in the Netherrealm, a cloaked figure stood before a dark orange vortex, patiently awaiting the return of his most formidable minion. He'd been standing there for the past twenty minutes, since he had given the deviant three Earthrealm days to get the job done. After all, time moved _much _slower here in comparison to the other realms.

Quan Chi was hoping that Noob Saibot had retrieved the woman with relative ease. It had been a year since she'd escaped from Outworld, and he knew that somehow Fate would lead her to Earthrealm, and that was _bad_. It wasn't bad because of one singular woman wandering into a foreign realm, however. It was because chaos would erupt very quickly for everyone – not just Earthrealm – if this woman got to Fate's intended destination.

Earthrealm had its powerful forces, of course. That was not enough, at least to Quan Chi. He knew the realms very well, having learned everything about each and every single one. That having been said, Earthrealm was pretty vulnerable at this point. There hadn't been any wars in nearly a decade, so Quan Chi was certain that the Earthrealmers were now living their lives in peace – much to his disdain.

The mortal realm's inhabitants had a tendency to move past the depressing fear of invasion, so they would often be oblivious to the sinister plans of the evil beings from other realms. That is why invading was relatively easy for Kahn and his evil allies in past events. However, Earthrealm had its protectors at the ready in the event that such atrocities occurred. The main group was led by Raiden, and they had withstood devastating destruction several times, honorably fighting the forces of evil to defend their home.

Moreover, the main problem was this particular woman. If she got close to the Lin Kuei, she could unintentionally easily thwart Quan Chi's plan to conquer the realm and brainwash each individual native to follow and serve him. Not that she would know, of course. This woman was not very smart, but unbeknownst to the sorcerer, she wasn't very ignorant, either.

Zeleve, as Quan Chi had named her, was close to Smoke. Quan Chi did not call her by her original name, which was Zhira Nfy, because this would only cause her to remember everything. He didn't know that Zeleve remembered most of her past, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before she learned who she really was. The sorcerer also knew about the powerful mind link shared between the Enenra species. If Zeleve had regained her memories – which could only be triggered in the presence of another Enenra – Quan Chi did not know. He did, however, understand that Zeleve was already _in _the Lin Kuei palace, but did not know if she had been near her male counterpart. After all, there were so many people living inside the palace.

Quan Chi suddenly noticed the orange hue twist and turn as another being crossed the portal. He grinned evilly as Noob Saibot emerged from the gateway, watching as his subordinate bowed in respect.

"The woman. Where is she?" he implored as Noob rose to his feet. He did not see any sign of Zeleve, which was expected, but also surprising. He then remembered that she was an Enenra, and as such had the capability to wander anywhere unnoticed.

Noob felt anger wash through him as he recalled being chased out of the Lin Kuei palace. He did not exactly care for the woman, having only accepted the task of capturing her as a way to get his _own _dirty business taken care of. He knew that his dog of a master would punish him for failing in this mission, but chose to give his honest response.

"I was not able to capture her," Noob answered curtly. He did not even want to elaborate any further. Despite being a wraith incapable of emotion, this dual-minded man resented encountering his brother, former ally and the thunder god all at once. He felt ashamed for having been sent out without actually fighting back. This ruined his ego – after all, nothing hurt more than a wounded pride. Even dead men had it.

Quan Chi arched a skeptical brow. "My most trusted warrior could not capture the female Enenra? This sort of inconsistency is expected from Mileena and the Tarkatans, but not you. Explain yourself, wraith."

"The thunder god intervened, as always," Noob said simply. He figured he'd beat around the bush, so he chose to make his answers as vague as possible. After all, Noob wasn't exactly lying about Raiden stopping him – although Sub-Zero and Smoke were there as well.

The sorcerer sneered in disdain at this unsurprising news. "I should have figured that that poor excuse of a god would get in the way of my plan. However, you once defeated the gods protecting the Temple of Elements in your past life." Quan Chi clasped his hands behind his back as he paced away from his minion, muttering, "Even then... you disappoint me, Noob."

Noob did not remember his past deeds from when he was still the original Sub-Zero, so he could not defy his master's comment. However, he had a very nice retort in mind for this condescending bastard's insult, but knowing that Quan Chi could easily destroy him at any moment, he remained silent. He knew exactly _how_ vengeful this sorcerer was when disobeyed, and failure counted as disobeying.

"I would punish you," Quan Chi continued, turning to face Noob. "But there's no point in doing so. I am, however, willing to give you another opportunity."

If Noob could have rolled his eyes, he would have. However, he merely tilted his chin upward, signalling that Quan Chi had his utmost attention.

"I want you to keep a _very_ close eye on the Lin Kuei palace. There is one condition, and if you disobey me once more, you _will_ meet your doom."

Noob inwardly sighed, not exactly caring about anything else at this point. He wanted to kill someone, or perhaps even mess around with one of the succubi for a bit. This conversation with Quan Chi was one-sided, and Noob desperately wanted to get away. He did not have time for this.

_Get to the point, you bleach-faced son of a bitch,_ Noob thought.

"Yes, my liege. What is this condition you speak of?" Noob asked, ignoring the growling insults Saibot internally shouted. He tried very hard to keep the challenging tone from out of his deep voice. Luckily, Quan Chi did not notice.

"You _cannot_ kill any Lin Kuei. Sub-Zero is most likely going to have more of his warriors guarding every palace entry day and night. You are only to observe what goes on in the temple, and wait for the perfect opportunity to capture the woman."

Noob knew this to be true; Kuai Liang was evidently going to have his guard up even more _especially_ since many of the sentries had been murdered. They hadn't even sensed death nearby, but now it was fairly obvious that extreme safety measures would be enforced by the Lin Kuei from this point on. Now, what Noob needed to know was the time frame. Normally Quan Chi allowed a certain amount of time to pass during a mission, but this specific one was a _very_ difficult one indeed.

"Understood. How long do I have? Surely that pathetic mongrel will make this more difficult than necessary..."

Quan Chi could sense the angry determination emanating from Noob. With a devious smirk, he replied, "You have no set time frame, but I demand that you send Saibot here to deliver any news once every so often. I suggest you satiate your urges while you still have time, as you will be leaving the Netherrealm in exactly five hours."

Noob nodded, accepting this new mission. It would be difficult, of course, but right now, that was not a primary concern. He turned and left Quan Chi's throne room, making his way toward the vicinity where the succubi frolicked. He didn't have a soul, so sexual encounters wouldn't put Noob at risk.

_Time to enjoy the immoral delicacies of this damned realm before I go... Hopefully those fucking Earthrealmers don't get in my way this time..._

* * *

**A/N: **This was pretty short, I know. I'm working on another chapter, and it should be up sometime next week. Hopefully this suffices.


	16. As Time Goes By

**A/N: **I need to snap out of whatever's keeping me from updating this story... ._.

*Update: Thanks to **nivet** for informing me of that typo. I fixed it. :) *

* * *

_**Two weeks later...**_

* * *

"There you are, Tomas. I was looking for you," a voice said, seemingly from out of nowhere. The male Enenra looked up from his spot on the floor, only to see his cousin standing across from him. She bore a calm expression on her face, casually leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. It was then when Smoke took notice of Zeleve's new uniform, which consisted of an all-black bodysuit with matching gloves and tabi boots. To say the least, she looked deadly, despite not wearing her identity-concealing mask.

Tomas chuckled, shaking his head as he wondered how women could manage walking around in such absurd attire. He already knew about Edenians and how they seemed to enjoy running around half-naked with high-heeled boots. Then again, Zeleve's attire was not as revealing. Being in the Lin Kuei palace, women were not permitted to wear overly skimpy outfits. If they were maids, they simply wore kimono robes with slippers. But Zeleve was the only female fighter in training at this time, so her attire wasn't super elegant, but it wasn't drab, either. Only the very top of her cleavage was visible, and even then it wasn't much for anyone to marvel over. It was _practical_.

"Well," Smoke replied with a smirk. "You found me. What is it?"

Zeleve shrugged as her cousin stood from the cross-legged position he originally sat in. "Nothing, really. I was bored, so I thought I'd find you so we could spar. Been a while since I've done anything and I'd hate to lose my skills," she replied.

"Skills? Since when did you have skills?" Smoke teased, earning a giggle from his female counterpart. They'd been getting used to one another over the past two weeks, and despite not having been around each other for most of their undead lives, they sure had gotten closer to each other rather quickly. And because of this new bond they shared, it was not uncommon for Zeleve and Tomas to pick on each other every now and then.

Zeleve rolled her silver, slitted eyes. "I've had skills for the longest, you dork. I just wanna kick some ass right about now, that's all," she chided, earning an amused chuckle from her cousin.

Dusting off his baggy black pants before he sauntered over to her, Smoke sighed in defeat. He knew Zeleve was supposed to be working on her combat skills, and since Sub-Zero himself appointed him as her master, he had no choice but to give in. Not that he'd ever deny his own cousin anything she needed, of course. He showed no annoyance, but instead laughed as he said, "Oh, yeah? Well, you're totally gonna regret calling me a whale penis."

With that, Smoke charged toward his cousin in a blur. Zeleve was quick to notice that he was using his powers, but not quick enough to block the powerful fist that connected with her lower abdomen. A startled yowl escaped her lips as she fell on her bottom, but she didn't stay down for long. Quickly, Zeleve kipped up, and the cousins exchanged a series of attacks for the next fifteen minutes. Time seemed to go by quickly as they evaded projectiles, punches, kicks, slaps, and whatnot, but it wasn't long before Smoke was distracted.

Zeleve somehow managed to outsmart the more experienced Enenra, becoming fully invisible before delivering a right hook to Smoke's jaw. He yelped in surprise, not having expected such a sneaky attack, but the punch was so forceful that it knocked him onto the ground.

"Dammit, woman," he muttered, clasping his left hand onto his tender cheek as the female Enenra briskly walked over to him. This was the first time Zeleve had sparred in a long while, so the nervousness was written all over her face as she held her right hand out in front of Smoke's face.

"Uh... You alright?" she asked. Smoke rolled his eyes and chuckled, grabbing his cousin's hand so that she could help him up.

"I'm fine. It's been years since anyone's knocked me down with a simple punch, so you shocked me with that one," he answered, dusting off his pants after Zeleve pulled him to his feet.

"Also, your psychological strength may not be so fortitient, but your physical prowess is actually pretty damn good," he added. Smoke was clearly caught off-guard by the force Zeleve had packed into her punch, as it was unexpected. He had never sparred with his cousin before, and seeing the strength she had only proved Sub-Zero to be right about Zeleve's potential.

Zeleve appreciated the surprising compliment, but her excitement was soon replaced by subtle annoyance. Sighing, she replied, "I guess I'm still having those nightmares. They're not as bad as they were at first, thankfully."

"You can't let that get in the way of your training. Emotions, Zeleve. You've got to block them when you're fighting a formidable opponent, otherwise you'd get killed. But, hey, don't worry so much about the nightmares. They'll pass in due time," Smoke said as he walked over to a bench. He grabbed a bottle of water and opened it, taking a few gulps as Zeleve smiled timidly.

Zeleve knew that Smoke was right, but what he _didn't_ know was that she usually turned off her emotions when fighting anyone. Sure, she was grateful for her cousin's positive words, and even if he didn't always say so, she knew that he cared. Since the invasion two weeks prior, she hadn't been doing so well. The nightmares had returned, but they weren't as bad as the ones from before Noob Saibot showed up. If anything, these nightmares were weird as opposed to creepy.

"Thirsty?" Smoke asked, jarring Zeleve from her reverie. She shook her head rapidly before looking at her cousin, who held another unopened bottle of water. Zeleve wordlessly grabbed the bottle from Smoke, nodding her head in gratitude as she twisted the cap off and took a few sips. The water was refreshing, given the spar she'd just had with her cousin.

Twisting the cap back onto the bottle, Zeleve looked at her cousin. He now sat on the bench, drying his sweaty face off with a towel. She wanted to ask him about Sub-Zero, but wasn't sure if she should even bother. She couldn't help but feel curious about him since that day she finally met him, although the "meeting" wasn't even formal. However, the female Enenra did not even know why she was suddenly eager to actually know the Grandmaster. He didn't seem very easy to get to know, and as it was, he also gave off this "stay away from me" sort of vibe. To say the least, Sub-Zero intimidated Zeleve, so she pushed those thoughts aside for now, choosing to sit beside Smoke instead.

* * *

_**A month later...**_

* * *

"So, what of the woman?"

"She has a bond with Smoke, and they have been sparring together for a while now. She's getting stronger with time."

Noob Saibot stood nonchalantly before his master, relaying the details of what was going on within the Lin Kuei palace. He'd been lurking the temple as a mere shadow, watching every little thing that went on. Noob knew that Zeleve was close to Smoke, as they were almost always together. But he hadn't captured her, and Quan Chi was beginning to grow suspicious, hoping the woman hadn't been near Sub-Zero.

"Has she been near the Cryomancer?" the sorcerer asked, raising a painted brow.

The wraith shook his head. "She has not. Kuai Liang has been keeping to himself as of late. I doubt he'll even try to come around her at this point."

"I wonder why," Quan Chi said. A sinister grin crept upon his pallid face as he stroked his chin in contemplation. He knew that Sub-Zero wouldn't want to be bothered after knowing that several of his warriors had been slain. Noob knew this as well, and he couldn't contain the mischievous grin forming beneath his dark mask.

"The guards I killed, obviously."

The sorcerer laughed darkly. "Yes, of course. Those mortals and their emotions... Compassion does nothing but get them killed, but they're fools. Fools die too quickly, which is perfectly fine by my agenda."

Noob Saibot scoffed at this remark, although he agreed. However, he wanted to get the hell out of the Netherrealm and resume his mission. Changing the subject, he asked, "So, my liege. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"The information you have provided will suffice for now," replied Quan Chi. Before sending the wraith off on his way, he decided to make an offer. "I assume you'd like some free time from this mission?"

Noob shook his head, "No, it is not necessary. I'll just go back to Earthrealm and resume my mission."

"Very well. I await any more news that you may have, understood?"

"As you wish," Noob answered, vanishing from the dark underworld via an inky portal.


	17. Emotions?

**A/N: **Firstly, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to update. On top of burnout, I've been dealing with an unhealthy amount of drama with friends and family. It drained me mentally and physically, which is why I haven't been very active (not that I don't lurk and leave occasional reviews). But that's not important now, since the fact that this nonsense is over means that I'm back! I _really, really_ missed writing, anyway.

This chapter might not seem as dark as the previous ones, but I figured I'd add some subtle comedy for now. The darkness will return in the next chapter, whenever I am able to start on it...

To **Guest**: Zeleve's not gonna be paired with Smoke. That's incest and incest to me is gross. D: Thanks for the review, though!

Also, thanks so much to** jackson trinh** and **Haiden2605 **for the fave and follow! :)

* * *

Zeleve's training had improved greatly within the past two months, and she loved how she was becoming more agile and stronger. It was clear that she was indeed a _very_ enthusiastic woman, as she mostly always eager to learn new moves and improve her already well-practiced techniques. Smoke, on the other hand, admired how she never really complained about anything. If Zeleve lost balance during her stance or failed to block a hit, she would not pout in defeat, but instead she'd use that frustration as fuel to try again.

Her emotions weren't exactly stable yet, however. Sometimes Zeleve would grow a bit _too _frustrated if she failed more than ten times. She also hated it when her training was prolonged for longer than she thought was necessary, which would result in her occasional verbal slip-ups. Smoke had to reprimand her quite a few times in regards to her tactlessness, as he thought that her use of profanity was a bit overdone. But other than that (and a few flashbacks that still plagued her sleep), Zeleve was doing pretty well thus far.

Smoke had trained his cousin three times a week in offense, defense, and he was also teaching her how to control her vapor abilities. He'd also shown her how to add her smoke powers into a combination attack, and he'd also taught her a few meditation techniques. It was very obvious that Zeleve mostly functioned on nervous energy, therefore the male Enenra figured that meditation would be beneficial for her. Of course, the woman would occasionally complain about how she thought that "meditation was boring and dull," but a simple glare from Smoke was enough to shut her up.

The older Enenra couldn't deny it, though; although Zeleve had a bit of a mouth on her, he was _very_ proud of how quickly she picked up on his teachings. And today, he'd offered to take her for a walk outside in the courtyard as a reward for her hard work. Of course, Zeleve accepted this offer. She was bored of being cooped up inside the palace all the time, and it's been nearly three months since she had last seen the outdoors. Freedom to breathe in the fresh air from outside sounded blissful, and she couldn't contain her excitement.

Clapping her hands excitedly, she asked her cousin, "Should I change into something warm?"

She was currently wearing a pair of loose-fitting training pants and a scoop-neck tank. Her palms and bare feet were bandaged with a dark grey sports wrap, and her long, black hair was pulled into a high, messy ponytail. Obviously, there was _no_ way that Zeleve could go outside and not get sick when Greenland was one of the coldest places in Earthrealm.

Smoke knew this, of course. Giving her a mock glare as he gave her a casual once-over, he smugly replied, "Of course you should. That is, _unless_ you want to become a dead block of ice within the first ten seconds of being outside."

Zeleve rolled her eyes, placing a bandaged hand on her hip. "Alright, you've got a point, Tomas. I have to shower and stuff, so it's gonna be an hour at most. Where should I meet you when I'm done?"

"I haven't seen Sub-Zero since last week, so I'm going to catch up with him while you get yourself ready. Meet me in the palace foyer in two hours," Smoke instructed, waving his cousin off.

"Alright. Tell him I send my regards," Zeleve said. Smoke gave her a thumbs up before walking away, presumably towards the Grandmaster's study.

Zeleve hadn't seen the Cryomancer since the day Noob had snuck into the palace, which was about a good three months ago. Of course, she already knew that the Grandmaster was a bit of a recluse. The only time she'd hear about him was when Smoke mentioned him in their cousinly conversations. Although Smoke's description of this enigmatic man did not sound appeasing, Zeleve found that she was still a bit curious about him.

Looking down the hall, Zeleve realized that she was the only one present. Boredom quickly setting in, she decided to prance her way to her chamber. Careful as to not make a sound, she gleefully skipped along the many corridors with a very devious smile on her face. Though Zeleve thought that she was alone in the halls, a few of the servants who were making their rounds around the palace stopped what they were doing and stared at the prancing her as though she was insane. Even some of the Lin Kuei trainees paused their sparring matches with one another, shaking their heads at this rather unusual display.

"That's the new girl?" one of the men had asked. Two others shrugged before they were interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"She's Smoke's cousin, apparently."

It was Cyrax. The cyborg happened to be casually walking past the trainees, carrying a large box containing napalm bombs. It seemed that he had acquired extra weaponry for his personal cybernetic arsenal. The three lesser warriors stared at the cybernetic ninja in stunned silence for a brief moment, watching him disappear into the weapon storage room. Once Cyrax was out of sight, one of the men shook their heads at the sudden revelation, muttering, "Smoke's sure got a kooky family, then."

Zeleve was already far down the hall, so she did not even hear these comments being made about her. Not that she would care, of course. It wasn't as though they'd try to mess with her, seeing as she was the cousin of the Lin Kuei's second-in-command. If they picked on her, Smoke would surely knock sense into them, anyhow.

Finally in front of her chamber's large door, Zeleve gracefully stopped her prancing. She turned the door handle and pushed the door open, quietly slinking in and closing it shut behind her. She was covered in sweat from all the dancing and training, and her hair was sticking onto her neck and forehead. Not liking how the sweat smelled, Zeleve grabbed a towel from her closet and made her way into the bathroom to freshen up.

A subconscious thought crossed her curious mind as she undressed and stepped into the shower stall. The automatic sensors inside the shower stall activating the flow of water from the showerhead, Zeleve remembered the look on Sub-Zero's face when he first saw her land on the floor beside Smoke. He didn't look very happy, but at the same time he seemed pretty nervous. Obviously, the woman did not know too much about him, but she did know that he doubted her because of Frost.

A few days ago, Smoke had finally told Zeleve everything about Frost. He told her about how Frost had betrayed the clan by taking the Dragon Medallion from Sub-Zero. The Cryomancer had been training the female to be his heir, although she did not know it herself. "Of course, because of her lack of humility," Smoke had said, "the medallion caused her to lose control of her powers. She froze herself solid."

Zeleve let out a sigh as she leaned against the shower wall, letting the hot water cascade over her nude form. She was glad that Frost had finally been killed, because that woman was definitely trouble. Of course, Zeleve had yet to understand _why_ Sub-Zero still doubted her loyalty to the clan, but she knew that she'd find out from him directly.

As Zeleve squeezed some shampoo into her palm and lathered it into her hair, she recalled _her_ fight with the blue-haired woman. It had been prior to her discovery by the Lin Kuei, and she remembered how cocky and high-strung the woman was. Frost was literally trying to kill her for no reason at all.

But why was Sub-Zero so torn over such a power-hungry woman? Zeleve would never know. He probably wouldn't tell her, either, even if she were to ask.

"That demented cunt," she whispered. She thought of Frost one final time as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair. Staying in the shower for another ten minutes, Zeleve washed herself before finally stepping out of the stall and grabbing her towel, which she'd placed on the adjecent sink.

Her emotions were swirling inside her now the more she thought about the two enemy Cryomancers. Frost was obviously a dark soul, while the Grandmaster seemed pure. Sure, he did not seem very friendly when she'd first seen him that day, but he did not look like he was corrupted with evil, either. He always kept to himself when he wasn't around his warriors, and that was what intrigued Zeleve the most.

She wanted to get to know him.

But for now? She would just enjoy her time with Smoke until that opportunity arose.

_I'll do that. Not like I won't ever get to know the real him,_ Zeleve thought as she dried herself off. Walking out of her bathroom and into her wardrobe, she pulled out a pair of form-fitting pants and matching long-sleeved shirt. Both articles of clothing were black, though the shirt was adorned with silver accents at the hem of the sleeves. She put her undergarments on first before changing into the outfit, sitting on her bed afterward. Zeleve had an hour and a half to spare, so she spent it by reading one of the books that she'd gotten from the palace library.

Her free time outside the palace would be worth it, anyway.

* * *

Sub-Zero stared out of one of the many large windows lining the eastern wall of his study when he heard a sudden knock on the door. Startled, the Cryomancer flinched before regaining his composure and walking over to the center of room where his desk was. Reaching his left hand underneath the top of his large, mahogany desk, he pushed a small button. A click was heard from the door's locks before the they slowly opened, revealing the male Enenra. He looked over at the Grandmaster, dipping his head as he stood at attention in the doorway.

"Hello there, Kuai Liang," he greeted. As if the formality of his greeting was dumb to him, Smoke dusted his shoulder off and walked over to Sub-Zero's desk with a cocky swagger. Grinning at his best friend, he plopped himself into one of the leather chairs.

Sub-Zero rolled his eyes at Smoke's obnoxiousness, shaking his head as he chuckled in amusement. "Seems to me like you're in a good mood."

"Of course I'm in a great mood. Problem?"

Kuai Liang smirked as he sat down across from his best friend. He opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a large envelope. "Not at all. I'm actually in a decent mood myself, oddly enough."

"Isn't that unusual?" Smoke chided, earning another eye roll from the Grandmaster. "You're always sullen and moody, but to even see you smirking is new for me."

The Cryomancer scoffed. "Whatever." He paused, looking at the envelope he'd pulled out, "By the way, you might want to read this. Cyrax brought it to me last night. Apparently this had been laying around in the mailing room since last month."

Smoke looked at the item in question, reaching out to grab it. "Special Forces? Knowing their missions nowadays, I'm wondering who this is about."

"Sonya mailed it in from her base in northeast Texas, but I didn't get to see it until this morning. Maybe if you'd open it and look, you'll understand why I'm in such an _unusually_ good mood," Kuai Liang said with a wide grin.

Smoke said nothing as he opened the envelope to look at the contents. His silver eyes skimmed the the first page of what appeared to be a mission report, and it was a certain name that caught his attention.

**...Xiang-Yuan, codename Sektor, of the newly formed Tekunin. I finally found him while on my search  
****for Kano and confronted him about the issue. At first, I thought that Jax and I  
were going to have to unleash our military on Sektor, but somehow ****  
****his slaving protocols started to malfunction. I thought wrong, of course. Sektor broke down  
and started to ****cry**** about how he wants to take the  
Lin Kuei back under his control...**

"Okay... Sektor's fucking crazy," Smoke said, looking up at Sub-Zero with an amused expression. It was hard for him not to laugh at the idea of _Sektor_, a cold-blooded killing machine, _crying_ over the fact that he was unable to overthrow Sub-Zero and reclaim the clan.

Kuai Liang chuckled at Smoke's reaction. His chuckle gradually grew into full-blown laughter, much to his own chagrin. This was so entertaining to both of them that Smoke eventually joined him. They laughed hysterically for nearly ten minutes until they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Calming himself down, Sub-Zero pushed the button underneath his desk. The door unlocked and opened, revealing Maeve. Smoke's laughter had quieted down to the point where he was now snickering, which caused the maid to glare at both men as though they had each grown an extra head.

Maeve dipped her head forward after regaining her composure as a show of respect to the Grandmaster. Turning to Smoke, she said, "Excuse me for the interruption, but Zeleve is waiting for you near the foyer."

"Let her know that I'll be there momentarily," the Enenra replied. Sub-Zero's eyebrow quirked, wondering why Zeleve was in the palace foyer. He said nothing, however, as Maeve finally spoke again.

"You might want to hurry. Her boredom seems to be getting the best of her. She's dancing around in there like some child."

Smoke smacked a palm to his forehead. Helplessly looking at Sub-Zero, he deadpanned, "Kill me."

Maeve said nothing more as she excused herself from the study to deliver the message. Once the door closed behind her, Sub-Zero cleared his throat. He wanted to know what was going on.

"Care to explain yourself?"

The Enenra shrugged. "She's been doing very well with her training, so I figured I'd take her for a walk in the courtyard as a reward for all her hard work. Keeping her inside all the time has been driving her insane and I feel bad for her. That's why she's in the foyer."

"I see," Kuai Liang replied casually.

He had been growing a bit curious about Zeleve, though his pride would never allow him to admit it. When he saw the woman for the very first time that day, it was awkward for everyone. Bi-Han was amused although he also didn't give a shit, but everyone else was uneasy. Despite being in a serious situation where lives were at stake (and had been lost, thanks to the wraith), Sub-Zero's reason for his uneasiness was because Zeleve was actually pretty and part of him did not want Bi-Han harming her. Of course, looks were always deceiving, and in his line of work, you couldn't just trust anyone, no matter how they looked. But his moral side wanted to know who in their right mind would inflict harm unto a young, attractive woman who doesn't even know who she is.

Looking at Smoke, he quelled his thoughts about the woman. Exhaling impatiently, he said, "Go ahead and meet with her. Just keep an eye out for any enemies who may be lurking about. I'll see you at dinner."

"Will do. I doubt anyone will bother us, but I'll keep watch," Smoke replied as he got up from the chair and walked away. Before he reached the door, however, Smoke turned to look at his friend.

"She's a little silly at times, but I think you'd like her despite your doubts in her psychological strength. Maybe you should formally meet with her sometime. But, you know... I'll just let you think on that. See you at dinner."

And with that, Smoke left the room in a thick cloud of dust.

"Dammit," Kuai Liang said as he stared up at his ceiling.

He was going to have to get used to having Zeleve around sooner or later...


	18. A Verbal Restraining Order

**A/N:** I've got to admit that I sometimes hate real life because it can really get in the way of my free time. This may be my last update for two weeks, since I'm going to Florida in a few days to visit family. Any reviews on stories I follow or replies to PMs within that time frame will be done via iPad or my phone.

Anywho, here's the overdue update! :)

* * *

Smoke briskly walked down the dim halls of the Lin Kuei palace, mentally rehearsing the questions he had for his cousin. Part of him wanted to scold her for not behaving properly, while the other wanted to ignore it. He couldn't do the latter, though – not after Maeve had barged into Sub-Zero's study to inform them of Zeleve's random antics. It was made obvious that Zeleve had grown impatient, as she did not like to wait for anything.

_That probably explains her spontaniety,_ Smoke thought as he continued toward the foyer. When he _finally_ turned the main corner and saw Zeleve sitting quietly on a small bench beside the large palace door, he couldn't help but smile beneath his mask. She just looked so pensive when she was bored, and seeing the subtle frown and pout on her face made the grey ninja chuckle. It appeared that she'd gotten sick of dancing, too.

Noticing Smoke's presence, Zeleve looked up at him. She stared at him for a brief moment while raising an arched brow. Ignoring the pointed look he was giving her, she haughtily said, "It's about time. What took you so long?"

Scooting to the side so that her cousin could take a seat beside her, Zeleve raked her fingers through her loose hair as she waited for his answer. The male Enenra sighed, shaking his head in dismay at her rude inquiry. Pulling off his mask, he looked at Zeleve with a grim expression. He had told her many times before that she _had_ to be careful with how she acted around the palace since accidents could happen at any given time. Still, the fact that she was easily bored when she wasn't training or assisting Smoke with random tasks around the stronghold was nonetheless understandable. The grey ninja's lips quirked a bit when he noticed Zeleve's fidgeting. It was duly noted that she knew he was going to nag at her about her behavior.

"Never mind that," Smoke said. "I just want to know why on Earth I got reports of you dancing around in here like a maniac. I've already told you not to be doing that. What if the Grandmaster were to have caught you instead? I'd get yelled at if something were to happen, and Elder Gods forbid that he lectures me because he won't shut up. Have you forgotten?"

Smoke continued to rant about Sub-Zero's strict rules of conduct as Zeleve suppressed an annoyed sigh for as long as she could. Eventually, she gave into her aggravation and exaggerated it, making the sigh sound more like a hiss. For one, she wanted Smoke to shut up. She was sick of the rules because she felt that it deprived her of an identity. Zeleve loved having the freedom of self-expression, and the fact that the Lin Kuei conduct code prohibited unconventional behavior bothered her. To make things even more difficult, the boredom was driving her mad, and all she wanted to do now was go outside and enjoy the outdoors. She didn't care for Smoke's lecture, although she knew deep down that the man had a valid point. Had Sub-Zero seen Zeleve's unusual antics, Smoke _would_ have gotten a lecture of his own for not keeping an eye on his cousin. But what Zeleve _didn't_ know was that the Cryomancer, in fact, already knew that she was dancing like a crazed moron. Maeve _did_ go inside his study to fetch Smoke, after all.

Much to Zeleve's chagrin, Smoke was still ranting about how Sub-Zero's rules were to be followed no matter what. That was when she had decided that she'd heard enough of his incessant jabber, swiftly poking him hard in the rib with her elbow.

"Ow!" Smoke yelped, recoiling to the unexpected mini-attack. Zeleve rolled her eyes at his reaction and looked away in silence.

Smoke noticed the quiet anger emanating from his cousin's aura. Awkwardly rubbing the right side of his chest with a sigh, he said to her, "Look, I know you're annoyed by all these rules and I understand how you feel. If it means anything, I hate most of them, too. However, you know I'm right about my reasoning. Don't forget that I've been living as a Lin Kuei assassin for far longer than you have. I just wish you'd at least try practicing self-discipline, as hard as it may be for you. It's just that I don't need my best friend scolding me over something so petty."

Smoke thought that Zeleve's reasons for being bored were pretty absurd. When he was bored, he'd go for a jog around the courtyard or lift weights in one of the many weight rooms inside the palace. Other times, he'd read ancient history or see if the Grandmaster needed any extra assistance. Whatever Smoke chose to do, he always had something keeping him occupied, but then he realized _why_ Zeleve was being so bratty about it. She was a female Enenra, and as such it was only natural for her to mostly function on emotions, not to mention that she was still psychologically immature compared to others of her kind.

Because an Enenra was a demonic entity entirely composed of vapor, it had no physical form unless the spirit within the vapors willed it. This partially explained every newborn Enenra's unquenchable thirst for the ability to roam wherever and whenever, as their main element was Air. And because air cannot be confined, it had to be free and unrestricted. Restricting an Enenra from their natural inclinations would cause them to grow violent and destroy all that is around them in a fit of animalistic rage, but there were the very few spirits within the undead species that had a good amount of willpower. Sure, many were known to be vulnerable to manipulation, and this was especially true for the females.

At this thought, Smoke recalled the moments when _he'd_ discovered his own powers. When he'd been reborn as an Enenra, he'd had the exact same issues with controlling his urges for freedom. It had been such a difficult time for him that he would take whatever opportunity available to escape the old Lin Kuei temple in China, and he'd fail every time. But, of course, the old Grandmaster didn't take to that rebellious behavior very kindly. Also, Smoke was male, so his mind was more capable of logical reasoning despite his many setbacks. He learned to control himself over time, and he was proud of himself for this. Most Enenras never made it this far, as they'd often fallen into the life of corruption and betrayal.

In many ways, Zeleve was very lucky. Her need for freedom was very strong, which was why she always needed to have something to do, although she broke quite a bit of the rules in the reformed Lin Kuei's conduct code in the process. Under the former Grandmaster's rule, she'd have gotten killed for the random dancing. Even worse, she wouldn't even _be_ in the clan due to her gender, so she was very fortunate to be among the ranks. And Sub-Zero was never one to privately beat his subordinates or use violence to enforce their respect, as he preferred fairness over all else. Smoke knew this, and because of that, he still wished that Zeleve would at least take the time to learn how to control her urge for freedom. Even if she wouldn't actually be killed or beaten for her blind silliness, he thought that it'd be for the best that Zeleve learned to get her act straight. She _was_ his younger cousin, after all, and he had grown to care for her like a sibling.

Zeleve, on the other hand, remained quiet. Staring into the blue-tinted Gothic designs painted on the cathedral ceiling, she thought about everything Smoke had told her. Despite showing a strong air of defiance, she knew deep down that her cousin had made many valid points. She was burdening him with her antics and it would only get the two of them in trouble if she didn't start curbing her impulses. She also knew that it would be very hard for her to control her natural energies, but if she was able to make it _this_ far, she was sure that she could learn how to grow up a bit. Averting her silvery gaze back at her cousin after a long while of pondering on the matter, she swallowed her pride and telepathically apologized for her unacceptable behavior.

_I'm sorry, Tomas. I just get bored. It's like... If I don't have a way to keep my hands busy when I'm not training, this urge to be on the go takes over. I just want to be less resticted because feeling trapped drives me insane, and it's really hard to fight against it. _

Smoke smiled despite still being a bit upset with Zeleve. Grabbing his mask and fiddling with the straps on each side, he telepathically replied, _**It's fine. Just try to work on keeping yourself in check. That's all I ask of you.**_

Standing up, Smoke nodded his head in the direction of the door leading outside of the palace. Zeleve followed him to the main doors as he continued his response with his own voice instead of his mind. "Like I said, Zeleve, I understand your struggle. Even if I don't agree with your way of going about this whole freedom thing, I know exactly what you're dealing with. I've been down that road quite a bit myself. And as for the dancing, there's nothing wrong with that since you're only trying to have a bit of fun."

"Then why can't I dance in the halls?" Zeleve countered. She got his hint about the whole understanding bit, but she didn't quite grasp the entire point.

Smoke sighed and ran a hand through his white hair as they continued to walk toward the door. "You can dance, but not in the halls where everyone can see you. I'm pretty sure some of the clansmen are already thinking that you're crazy, and I don't like that. Dance in your own chamber instead. Need I remind you that you're the only female trainee that actually lives _and_ works here?"

"Nope, you don't," Zeleve replied. She knew where he was going with this, and she didn't want to hear it. "Anyway, I get your point, Tomas. Can we go outside now?"

Smoke refastened his mask over his lower jaw and pushed the door open. "Fair enough. Let's go before it starts getting dark out."

* * *

Noob Saibot carefully watched as Zeleve and Smoke stepped out from inside the palace foyer and into the courtyard. He had been here for a long time, patiently spying on the Lin Kuei's newest addition to their clan. No one noticed the wraith's presence, and this was a very good thing.

Quan Chi had used his sorcery to convert the humanoid wraith into an anteater, while also allowing the wraith to switch back and forth between that and his normal humanoid form. Normally, anteaters were only ever found in Earthrealm's tropical regions, as they could not survive in cold areas. That was the reason why Quan Chi decided to convert Noob's fur from the usual brownish black to an off-white tone. Thanks to sorcery, no one would ever be able to notice that the animal was really a devil in disguise.

Noob crawled around a large, frozen rock and sat upon it like an eagle perched upon a flimsy branch. Diligently, the undead being observed the two cousins, noticing how happy they seemed to be in each others' company. Zeleve had picked up a handful of snow and tossed it onto Smoke's face unexpectedly, causing the male Enenra to retaliate by tossing a small smoke bomb at her feet.

_Smoke still acts like a little kid. Not very surprising in the very least,_ Noob thought as he continued to watch the two relatives frolicking in the snow. Snorting in mild annoyance, he hopped off of the rock and went back into his hiding spot beneath it.

He'd figure something out eventually.

* * *

**A/N:** There we go. This was pretty short, but hopefully this is good enough for you guys. Let's just say that I hope you guys know what the whole anteater thing with Noob is about. LOL.

Also, thanks to Deuce for the reviews. :)


	19. Awkward Introductions

**A/N:** Well, I haven't updated this fic in about three months, and I'm sure a lot of you are pretty disappointed about that. As some of you may or may not already know, my old laptop was giving me hell, and I didn't feel like typing up super long chapters via iPad. That is why I've decided to wait until I could get enough money saved for a new laptop.

The good news is that my new laptop is finally here, and I'm using it to type this update! I'd also like to thank **Torion, Obelisk of Light, Ace of Spies** and** TheHemomancer** for their supportive, honest reviews, their suggestions (which help a lot, believe it or not), as well as their friendship

Without further ado, I sincerely hope that you all enjoy this update!

P.S. This chapter is pretty short, and the events take place a week or so after the last chapter. I'll post the next chapter in a few days.

* * *

Sub-Zero sat on his throne, silently overseeing the progress of his warriors, most of whom did calisthenics in the training grounds located just outside the glass double doors at the far end of large room. Smoke had insisted on training them for the day, although the Cryomancer himself did not want the Enenra to be the one in charge of their underlings' training. It took a while of convincing before Sub-Zero threw his hands up in defeat and told him to just "shut up and go for it."

As the Cryomancer quietly observed everything happening with Smoke and the rest of the clansmen, he started to get a little hungry. Having not eaten any breakfast yet, Kuai Liang sighed and got up from his throne. Before leaving the massive chamber, he took a last look outside to make sure that Smoke had everything under control before turning back around to head to the mess hall.

While on his way to the dining area, the Grandmaster passed several maids and guards, most of whom nodded or bowed to him in respect before going back to taking care of their everyday chores. He smiled thinly at his subordinates, returning the honorable gestures with an inclination of his head. It wasn't too long of a walk from the throne room to the humongous mess hall, but Sub-Zero certainly smelled the delicious scent of roasted breakfast meats, eggs, and Colombian coffee by the time he was just outside the massive door.

Sighing blissfully and stepping inside the dining area, he saw that his own food had already been prepared and ready for him, placed carefully atop the wooden table where he sat with Smoke and sometimes Cyrax. Looking around, the Cryomancer noticed that the mess hall was deathly silent, but he didn't recognize the younger woman inside the dining room with him.

Of course, since he hadn't really been around her since her arrival several months ago, it took a few moments for Kuai Liang to recognize the woman as Zeleve. Mentally cursing himself for being so oblivious and dense, he felt a lump subconsciously forming in his throat. He did not know why he felt so flustered in her presence; it wasn't like she really knew him like that, anyway. He also had made it a point to not have anything to do with her - he made this declaration on the day the woman had fainted in the palace foyer. However, much to Sub-Zero's angsty embarrassment, seeing her _now_ gave him a headache. He silently hoped that she would not notice him.

Zeleve had been sitting at another table nearby, quietly munching on a rice cake. It was an innocent vibe that emanated from her, and she seemed at peace. Sub-Zero noticed her bare feet, frowning inwardly as he did not understand why she felt the need to walk around without any shoes. Kuai Liang tried to look away, but ended up checking her out instead. Raising an eyebrow as he noticed the fine curvature of her lithe physique, he eventually remembered how wrong it was for him to be looking at her that way. Thankfully, the female vapor demoness didn't even notice the Grandmaster's slightly enticed gaze, as her back was facing him. Sub-Zero suddenly shook his head quickly and rubbed a hand over his eyes; he didn't want for Zeleve to notice his furtive glances at all, as that would not be very modest.

_What in the hell is going on with me? That's my best friend's cousin and here I am, ogling her like some dog in heat_, he thought as he returned his attention to his breakfast. He felt sickened at himself for giving an off-limits woman the casual once-over, and especially for thinking that she was quite attractive, even if she looked somewhat plain, with her dark hair and sloppy attire. All Zeleve wore was a pair of black jogging pants with a dark grey hooded sweater, and her hair was tied atop her crown in a messy bun. Yeah, she looked plain. But that didn't matter to the Cryomancer, as the image was permanently etched into the back of his mind despite his efforts to forget.

Picking up his silverware to cut the steak on his plate, he released an irritated sigh upon realizing that it had already gotten a bit cold. Unfortunately, that sigh ended up sounding more like a frustrated growl, and it caused Zeleve to put her coffee mug down and whirl around to look in his direction.

_Shit, she caught me!_

Great. Sub-Zero had no way to save face. Before he could stand up to leave, Zeleve had already acknowledged his presence with a shy smile, coyly muttering, "Hello."

He couldn't just leave, as that would have been rude. Even though Kuai Liang was the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, he didn't have it in him to disregard the young woman's friendliness, but he was stuck in an awkward position. He wanted to run out of the mess hall and return to the throne room (although he was certain that Smoke and the other trainees had since completed their morning exercises), but another part of him was tugging at him, telling him to speak to the woman and try to become a bit more acquainted. After all, he hadn't seen her since the day she first entered the palace. And Smoke had even told him a while back, "She's a little silly at times, but I think you'd like her despite your doubts in her psychological strength. Maybe you should formally meet with her sometime."

He was right; there was no avoiding the woman forever. Swallowing his pride, the Cryomancer slowly approached the young woman, clearing his throat awkwardly before speaking. He decided to talk to her the same way as he would talk if she were Tomas. He had decided that there were no need for formalities while speaking to Zeleve, after all.

"So," he started, as Zeleve looked at him expectantly. "I know we haven't exactly introduced ourselves..."

* * *

**A/N:** Ample foreshadowing, I know. :P


End file.
